


Lance's Moving Castle

by JadynRosetta



Series: Ghibli x Klance crossovers [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Howl's Moving Castle Fusion, Galra Keith (Voltron), Haggar as the Witch of the Waste, Keith as Sophie, Lance as Howl, M/M, Pidge as Markl, Shiro as Calcifer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-14 21:51:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13016892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadynRosetta/pseuds/JadynRosetta
Summary: A "Howl's Moving Castle" au.  Keith is a hat shop worker who was cursed to look like a monster.  In order to fix his curse he makes a deal with the fire demon Shiro who is stuck in a curse with Lance.  If Keith can somehow free Shiro then he can break his own curse.





	1. The Cursed Hat Shop Owner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this was a request on Amino. Howl's Moving Castle is my favorite ghibli movie of all time so I'm really excited to write it. Hope you enjoy this first chapter, like with the Spirited Away au it'll be three chapters.

The town was as dull as ever, nothing ever changes here.  The train goes by, leaving a smoke trail behind.  It shakes everything as it goes by while the smoke clouds the window.  The hat worker didn’t mind, instead they finished with another hat and placed it on a stand.  Grabbing another and putting a beautiful design on it.  A knock came at the door.

“Keith.”  A woman calls.  Keith looks up from his hat.  “We’ve already closed up, why don’t you come with us for a night.”  He smiles at her.

“No I’ve still got to finish this, you girls go and have fun.”  He says, the woman walks back out.

“Oh alright, suit yourself.”  She sighs.  “Come on girls, let’s go.”  She says, the other girls follow.

“Coming!”

“Wait up!”

“Do I look okay?”  They all run out.  Keith rolls his eyes, his fellow workers were so silly.  “Oh look it’s Lance’s Moving Castle!”

“What, where?!”

“Lance?  I’ve never seen him so close!”  They all rush to the window, Keith slowly went back to making a hat.  He looks outside and saw the castle in the distance, it disappears in the fog.  A few soldiers fly by after the castle leaves.  The girls all sigh in disappointment.

“He’s gone.”

“No he’s just hiding from those planes.”  They kept talking.  Keith took a few more decorations and designed the next hat.

“Did you hear about that girl Martha?  They said Lance tore her heart out.”

“Oh now I’m too scared to go out!”

“What?”

“Don’t worry, he only prays on pretty girls!”  They all laughed.

“Alright let’s go.”

“You guys are mean!”  They kept laughing.  Keith kept working on his hat.  He put a few things on it and finished it up, the window being covered in smoke again.  He puts the hat on a stand and looks for another hat to design.  He picks one up and sighs at his mundane existence.  He got up and dusts his red dress off.  He grabs his hat and walks out to his house next door.  Above planes fly high showing their kingdom’s flag with pride.

Keith looks at the mirror in his house, he poses with his hat on.  Trying to look cute or somewhat beautiful.  He gave up and pouts, he shoves the hat over his eyes and walks out.  He locks up his hat store and runs to the small local.  He stays on the stairs leading on while holding onto the door.  He watches all the locals walking around going about their daily lives, much like he does.

Further in people are cheering for their soldiers, the war was going on for a while now that it’s become something Keith is use to seeing.  Soldiers, their flag, and planes.  All common now.

He speeds away from the crowd and walks into an alley, he sees a soldier standing around.  He tries to not get it’s attention and kept walking, walking past the soldier and the parade going on.

He looks at a piece of paper and looks at all the buildings, trying to find a certain place.  He kept looking around completely distracted until he ran into a tall soldier.  He leans against the wall and smirks.

“Hey~  Looks like a little mouse got lost.”  He said in a flirtatious voice.

“Oh no, I’m not lost.”  Keith shook his head.  The soldier got closer, another one walks in.

“This mouse looks thirsty, we should take him out for a cup of tea.”  Keith didn’t make eye contact, he felt a little frightened.  His fault for dressing like a woman, dull burgundy dress, long hair pulled back.

“No thanks, my brother is expecting me.”  He said quietly.  The soldier that came out of nowhere got closer to Keith.

“He seems pretty cute for a mouse.”  He says sweetly.

“How old are you anyways?  You live around here?”  The other says, Keith backs away and glares.

“Leave me alone!”  He says in fear.  The two soldiers chuckle.

“See?  Your mustache scares everyone, even men.”

“So I think he’s cuter when he’s scared.”  They kept smiling at Keith, he was so uncomfortable and actually scared.  Why the heck are they doing this to him?  He was just walking around minding his own business.

“There you are sweetheart, I’ve been looking all over for you~”  A cool voice from behind grabs Keith’s shoulders and held him close.  He didn’t recognize the voice at all, but the man was helping him.

“Hey we’re busy here!”  One of the soldiers snap.

“Really?  It looked to me like the two of you were just leaving.”  The man moves a slender finger up, with swift movements of the mysterious man’s hand the men did some goofy march and were sent away.  Both of them panicking and saying they can’t control their bodies.  Keith watched as they walked away against their will.

“Don’t hold it against them.”  Keith quickly looks over at the man who saved him.  He was about his height with tan skin and beautiful blue eyes.  He had white hair that went down to his shoulders.  “They’re actually not all that bad.”  He said sweetly.  Keith had a heart attack, he was handsome and did save him.  Though he dressed in an odd fashion.

“Where to?”  He asks still using his calm yet cool voice.  “I’ll be your escort this evening.”  He leans down looking Keith in the eyes.

“Oh um, I’m just going to the bakery…”  Keith stutters.  The man smiles.

“Don’t be alarmed but I’m being followed.”  He slides his hand into Keiths and began to walk.  “Act natural.”  Keith awkwardly wraps his arm around the mans and kept walking.  The man walked with so much confidence it made Keith so confused.  He didn’t have this confidence, though the man was beautiful unlike him.

Creatures started coming out of the walls of the buildings.  Keith tried to subtly look behind him and sees the slimy creatures following them.

“Sorry, looks like you’re involved.”  He said calmly.  Keith clung to him, okay he’s seen some weird shit but not like this.  Abort, he doesn’t like the beautiful stranger anymore.  Keith saw the creatures were in front of them as well.  The man smiles and leads him away.

“This way!”  He leads him to the alley that separates the buildings.  They passed an alley drunk and other old buildings.  Their exit was caught off, the man grabs Keith’s waist and smiles.

“Hang on!”  He jumps up, they were walking on air.  “Now straighten your legs and walk.”  Keith did as he was instructed, scared beyond belief.  “There ya go, not so hard is it.”

Keith was amazed, they were higher than the buildings.  He started to take in the sights, the man chuckles.  He took both of Keith’s hands and walks behind him, walking over a crowd of people.

“Look at you, you’re a natural.”  He says, the two smile at each other and kept walking.  They made it to a random balcony, the man gently lets Keith fall.  Keith stares at the man with a dreamy look.  “I’ll draw them off, but be sure to wait a bit before you go back outside.”

“Kay.”  Keith says that all too quickly as they let go of their hands.  The man smiles.

“That’s my boy.”  He hops off the balcony, Keith panics and looks down.  It was crowded with men, women and soldiers dancing happily.

* * *

“Here ya go.”  A man was handing out cookies and other treats.  Since he made the best ones in the town people crowded around him.  He kept handing baked goods, someone ran up to him and whispered, he freaks out.

“He what?!”  He ran out, people asking where he was going.  He made it up and saw Keith standing there.  “Keith!”  He runs up to him.

“Hunk.”  Keith turns towards him, Hunk grabs Keith’s hands.

“What’s going on?  Someone told me they saw you landing on our balcony!”  He said, Keith gave Hunk a shocked look.

“So that did happen, that wasn’t a dream.”  He said, a man from behind Keith pokes his head out.

“Hunk would you like to use my office?”

“I should be going back to work, but thanks.”  He waves the man off, leaving him and Keith alone to chat.

* * *

They decided to talk in the storage room to talk in private.  They sat on boxes of supplies and were grateful it was empty.  The only thing close to them were a few bakers in the other room.  Keith told Hunk what happened.

“Wow, it must’ve been a wizard then.”  Hunk was both amazed and scared for Keith.

“But he was so kind to me.”  Keith looked up at the ceiling, remembering the beautiful man.  “He rescued me.”  Hunk got mad.

“Of course he was!  He was trying to steal your heart!”  Hunk gave him a more sympathetic look.  “You’re so lucky Keith, if that were Lance he would’ve eaten it.”  Keith looks up at Hunk.

“No he wouldn’t.  Lance only does that to beautiful girls.”  He said.  Hunk sighs.

“Don’t give me that.”  He started to scold him.  “You need to be more careful, it’s dangerous out there.”  He looks down.  “Even the Witch of the Waste is back- are you even listening?!”

“Huh?”  Keith looks at Hunk.  Hunk groans.  A box moves, a man pokes his head out.

“Hunk?  The chocolate eclairs are done.”

“Okay I’ll be right there.”

“Thanks.”  He puts the box back.  Keith stood up.

“Well I’d better get going, I just wanted to come here and see if you were okay.”  They walked out.  A man waves at Hunk, he smiles and waves back.  Hunk was a charmer that’s for sure.  He grabs Keith’s hands and looks at him with sadness.

“Now Keith are you sure you want to live the rest of your life in that hat shop?”  He asks.  Keith looks down.

“That shop was so important to father, besides I’m the eldest so I don’t mind.”  He said with a smile.  Hunk shook his head.

“I’m not asking what father would’ve wanted!  I want to know what you want!”  Hunk said.  Keith looks down.

“Well…”  Another man walks out and waves at Hunk, it distracted him enough for Keith to start walking away.

“Well I’d better get going.”  He started walking away, Hunk calls.

“It’s your life Keith, do something for yourself for once!”

“Bye Hunk.”

Keith walks down the dark road with others walking around, he blended in well.  He didn’t think that someone would be following him.

He hops on another local and rides back to the hat shop.  It was dark when he got home, he unlocks the door and walks in, making sure to lock it behind him.  He takes his hat off and lit the lantern on the front counter.  He heard the bell to the door chime, he looks over.

A woman in a black dress and black fur coat with a matching fur hat stood there.  Her skin tan and her hair white and wore expensive jewelry.  She smiles and looks around.

“I’m sorry ma’am the shop is closed.  I could’ve sworn I locked that door, I must’ve forgot.”  Keith said.  The lady looks at Keith with a smug smile, she walked closer.

“What a tacky little shop, I’ve never seen such tacky little hats.”  She looks at Keith with one hazel eye.  “Yet you are by far the tackiest thing here.”  She said.  Keith’s chest puffed up in anger.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to leave now ma’am.”  He walks to the door and opens it, staring the woman down.  “The door is this way, we’re closed.”  He says.  The woman gave him a surprised smile.

“Standing up to the Witch of the Waste, that’s plucky.”  She says, Keith’s eyes grew.

“The Witch of the Waste!”  Some of her minions started to crawl in.  He gasps and backs away, the Witch sends herself at Keith.  He puts his arms in front of his face to shield himself from whatever she had in store for him.  She was like air, moving through him like it was nothing.  She laughs.

“The best part of that spell is you can’t tell anyone about it, my regards to Lance.”  With that she left, and snuck out into the night.

Keith looks around, he was so confused.  She… did she curse him?  He felt fine.  He picks up his hat, a purple hand was in front of him, his eyes grew wide.

What the heck?  He quickly moves to the mirror, what he saw was shocking.  A purple creature that looked like him, but it couldn’t be him.  Purple skin, white hair, yellow eyes with no pupil, and big ears, like a cats.  He kept moving around, getting a good look at himself, he stiffens up.

“That’s really me isn’t it?!”  He looks around.  “I-I’ve got to stay calm!”  He walks towards the curtains then back at the mirror, he panics again.  “Wah!  S-Stay calm!”  He walks outside then back in.  “No use panicking Keith, it’s just a bad dream…”  He trips a bit, but he caught himself.  “Just go-go to bed.”  Back outside he went.  “Just stay calm.”  Walks back in.  “Just got to stay calm.”

* * *

The next morning a little cart pulls up, a woman walks into the shop happily.

“Look who’s here!”  She calls happily, her light hair up in a bun covered by a beautiful hat.  Beautiful cat shaped purple eyes and fair skin, obviously she was Keith’s mother.  All the girls gasp happily and run to her.

“Ma’am you’re back!”  They all run, she gave them a twirl showing off her hat.

“What do you think?  It’s on the rage in Kingsburg.”  She said.  All the girls giggle.

“It’s beautiful!”

“I know, our customers will love it.”  She hands the woman a box of supplies and looks around.  “Keith… Keith?”  She walks into the sewing room she usually finds her son in.  He wasn’t there which confused her.  One woman spoke up.

“I’m afraid your son hasn’t come down today.”

“That’s strange, I wonder what’s wrong.”  She walks over to his room.  “Keith?”  She calls as she walks up some stairs.  She knocks on his door.  “Keith?  Keith!”

Keith was wrapped up in blankets, he tried to sound sick.

“Go away!  I’ve got a nasty cold!  I don’t want you to catch it!”  He says in a raspy voice.  His mother backs away from the door.

“Oh dear you sound awful!”  She says, Keith spoke up.

“I’ll just stay in bed, you go on without me.”  His mother raised an eyebrow in suspicion but she shrugged it off.

“Okay… if you insist.”  She walks off.  As soon as her footsteps were out of ear shot Keith up and looks in the mirror.  He looks at the freak he’s turned into, he smiles.

“This isn’t so bad, you’re still in good shape.  And your clothes suit you more now.”  He says to himself.  He heard all of the girls laughing, he looks over in fear.  “But you can’t stay here like this for long.”  He knew he would scare someone with how he now looked.

He put on his lighter burgundy dress, a navy blue shawl, and a hat to cover his ears.  He also had a pink piece of cloth that acted as a bag.  He sneaks to the kitchen, but this new body was slightly heavier so each step he took made the wood creek.  He groans.

“Seriously I weigh more now?  Just great.”  He mumbles and kept walking.  He stole some bread and cheese.  He sneaks out the back door and walks away.  People behind him spoke.

“They say their prince is missing, and they’re blaming us.”  One man says, another one spoke up as well.

“Yeah, they’re gonna start a war over it.”  He ignores them and kept walking away.  He walks across the bridge, a train went by as he was crossing, covering Keith in smoke.  He coughs and kept walking.  A man looks at him and offered his hand.

“You need help uh… ma’am?”

“I’ll be fine.  Thanks though.”  Keith said, the man nods letting him walk.  He found some men with a cart of hay.

“Sure there’s room in the back.  Where ya headed?”

“Just a little farther than where you’re going.”  Keith said.  He hops on the back and rides away from the town.  He made it to their farm and walked off.  The man calls to him.

“It’s crazy if you go out there man, there’s nothing but witches and wizards out there!”

“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind.”  Keith shouts back.  The mans wife comes out and looks over.

“He’s going out to the waste by himself?”

“Says he’s looking for his younger sister.”  They watched him leave.

Keith walks up the steep hill, he started breathing heavily.  How anyone can do this all the time is nuts.  He’s heavier and looks scarier but he has his same old stamina, which was horrid.  He decided to rest on a rock and eat.  He looks at the town that was so small in the distance.

“Jeez, I’ll never get there at this rate.”  He grumbles, he took another bite and looks at his food.  He felt his teeth and was surprised.  “Are my teeth sharper?”  He asks himself.  He looks over to the side and sees a branch in the bushes.  He puts his food down and walks over.

“That would make a great cane.”  He got up and walks towards it.  He grabs it and tried pulling it out, it wasn’t working.  He groans and pouts at the branch, the hat moved indicating his ears went down in annoyance.  “Stubborn branch!  You won’t get the best of this freak!”  He yanks on the branch, a scarecrow came up and stood on its own.  He stares at the scarecrow.

“Just a scarecrow.”  He smiles.  “I thought you were one of those blob men… but how are you standing on your own?”  He asks, of course he didn’t get an answer.  “You’re heads a turnip.”  Keith points out.  “I’ve always hated turnips, ever since I was little.”  He walks away.  “Eh, at least you aren’t upside down anymore.  So long.”

He picks up his food and walks up the hill again, it was a lot windier up above.  Keith shivers, he realizes now that his skin is practically fur, yet it wasn’t doing any good.

“It’s so cold.”  He whimpers as he wraps his shawl around his arms.  “And I can still see the town, I’ve barely moved.”  He notices the scarecrow was hoping after him.  “Go away!  Quit following me.”  It kept coming at him.  “I’m sure you have some sort of spell on you and I’ve had enough of witches and spells for one day!”

“Go find a field and stand in it!”  He says and kept walking up the hill.  Turnip head hops after him, he got in front of Keith when he was out of breath.  He looks up and saw a cane around his arm.

“Are you giving that to me?”  He asks.  The cane drops down, Keith smiles and took it.  “Thanks it’s perfect.  Say another kind thing you can do for me is find me a place to stay.”  He said in a kind tone.

The scarecrow stares at him then hops away.  Keith waves him off then chuckles.

“Heh heh I didn’t know I was this clever.”  He says.  He kept walking, he looks up and saw a battleship.  “A battleship?”  The wind grew harsher.  “Ah why am I so cold?!  I’m bigger than ever and have fur and somehow the wind is blowing right through me!”  He whines.

He sat down letting his back face the wind.  He tried to stay warm but that wasn’t working.  He sighs and took a deep breath, he perks up at the smell.

“Someone’s got a fire going.”  He says.  He got up and walks towards it, little did he know it was walking towards him as well.  He stops and stares.  The scarecrow hops over happily.

“You Turnip Head!  That’s Lance’s Moving Castle!  That was not what I meant when I asked for a place to stay!”  The castle stops over them, they stare at it.  “What is this?  They call this a castle?”  Keith was being a sassy shit.

The castle started moving again, Turnip Head follows it and looks at Keith while hopping next to the door.  Keith just stares.

“Is that the way in?”  He runs after it, he grabs on the railing near the door.  “For heaven’s sake!  Slow down!”  He whines.  “Make up your mind, are you gonna let me in or not?!”  He asks, the castle scoops him up as he says that.  His shawl flies off.  Turnip Head hops after it.

Keith ignores it and walks into the castle.  It was warm and cozy looking, though dark.  Turnip Head hops back with Keith’s shawl.  He smiles and looks at the scarecrow.

“It’s warm so I’m gonna go in.  Oh my shawl thanks.”  He takes the shawl from Turnip Head.  He couldn’t keep up, Keith waves.  “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, even if you are my least favorite vegetable!  Take care Turnip Head!”

He walks in and saw a chair in front of the small fire.  He sat down and tried to warm his hands.  He saw how small the fire was, he threw two more logs on and looked around.

“This place is a dump.  When I think of castle this is not what comes to mind.”  He said.  A pair of eyes stare at him as he fell asleep, he sighs and ignores it.  He’s just tired.

“Yeesh that is one awful curse you got there.”  Someone said.  Keith opens his eyes and stares at the fire, it did have eyes.  “Curses are tough, and you’re gonna have a tough time with that one.”

“The fire spoke!”

“Let me guess, the curse won’t let you to talk about it.”

“Are you Lance?”  Keith asks.

“No, I’m an extremely powerful fire demon named Shiro~”  He blew some smoke out of his mouth.  He smiles.  “I just like to do that every once in awhile.”

“A fire demon, you should be able to break my curse!”

“Maybe, maybe not.”  Shiro says.  “Listen if you can break the curse on me I can break the curse on you.”  Keith raised an eyebrow.

“You’re a demon.  How could I trust you?  If I help you, you promise to help me in return?”

“I dunno man, demons don’t make promises.”

“Then find someone else.”  Keith says as he leans against the chair sleepily.

“Come on you should feel sorry for me!”  He whines.  “Lance keeps me here and treats me like his slave, I’ve got to keep the water hot, the rooms warm, the castle moving-”

“Sounds rough.”  Keith says as Shiro kept complaining.

“-hard it is to move a castle?”  Shiro finishes.  “Listen if you can fix this thing I have with Lance than I can easily break the curse on you.”

“Alright.”  Keith closes his eyes.  “It’s a deal.”  He falls asleep.

“Hey… hey man.  Hey hey man.”  Shiro tried waking Keith.  “Hey, hey hey man hey.  Hey hey man… let me just go over there, no nope can’t.  Sheesh, some help you’re gonna be.”  He sighs.  The castle kept moving through the night.


	2. The Cowardly Wizard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long, the website I'm watching the movie on kept bugging out so I have to keep reloading the page. Also this chapter is eighteen pages long. *sits in corner and groans* I'll start working on the next chapter now, for now enjoy this one.

A town full of war ships and great pride played loud music in honor of their brave soldiers, waving their flag high in the sky as they went off to war.  The rest of the town was quiet.  A knock came at the door, hoping to see the great wizard who lived in the quaint little home.

Keith was sound asleep in the chair, head leaning back snoring like the beautiful creature he is… or became.  The knocking grew louder and louder.  Keith shot awake, he looked like a village drunk.  The knocking kept going, a loud one woke him up.  His eyes shot open and his ears perked up.  He slowly looks at the door, the knocking kept going.  He wonders who that could be.

He heard someone coming down the stairs, he pretends to be asleep.  A girl runs in and then notices Keith.  She had bouncy short hair and big brown eyes that were covered by glasses.  She wore a white blouse covered by a green vest and a dark beige and green skirt with maroon leggings.  On the collar of her blouse was a small orange ribbon.  She was a very adorable girl.

“Hey who is this lady?”  She asks looking at Keith.

“Porthaven door.”  Shiro calls.

“How did she get in here?”  The girl kept asking as she grabs a cloak and a coin purse.  She puts the cloak on and puts the hood over her head, her hair suddenly grew longer and she wasn’t wearing glasses, a disguise.  She walks up and turns the dial.  “Stand by.”  She says as she turns the lock on the door, the wheel next to the door clicks to blue, she opens it and spoke.

“Mr. Mayor hello.”  The girl says.

“Hello young lady, would the great wizard Jenkins be home?”

“I’m afraid that my master is out at the moment.  I speak in his presence.”  Keith slowly got up, groaning since a chair is not the most comfortable of places to sleep.  The mayor hands the girl an envelope.

“An invitation from his majesty the king.  The time for war is upon us!”  He says, the girl takes it and nods.  “Our majesty is calling that every witch and wizard must aid in defending our homeland, wizard Jenkins must report to the palace immediately.”  Keith overheard their conversation while throwing more wood on Shiro.

“Can’t believe it’s come to this.”  He mumbles as the girl walks up still wearing her disguise.

“And what do you think you’re doing here, freak?”  She asks in a cold tone.  Keith smiles playfully at the little girl.

“Shiro said I could come in here.”

“I did not!  He just wandered in here from the wastes.”  Shiro was trying to defend himself.  The girl gave Keith a questioning look.

“He’s from the wastes?”  She took her hood off.  “Then how do we know he’s not a wizard?”  She asks.

“You’d think I’d let a freaky looking wizard in here?!”  Shiro was still defensive.  Keith giggles.  The door rings, Keith’s ears twitch and look up.  Shiro calls to the girl.  “Porthaven again.”  The girl was putting the envelope in a big book.

“Must be a customer.” She puts the hood back on and walks up to the door, a little girl was standing there.  “Yes my dear child?”

“My mom sent me to pick up a spell.”  She said.  Keith watches the girl lead the child in.

“Ah yes do come on in.”  The girl looks at Keith and mumbles.  “Keep quiet and don’t cause any trouble freak.”  The child walks up and stares Keith down.  He ignores her and walks to the window.  He sees Porthaven outside, he was surprised.

“It’s not the wastes…”

“Excuse me Kitty.”  The girl got his attention.  “Are you a witch too?”  He smiles and looks at her.

“That’s right.  I’m the scariest witch of them all~”  He says in an over the top voice and shows his fangs, the child giggles.  The girl hands her a bag.

“Dust your ship with this and the winds will blow in your favor.”  She says, the child nods.

“Thanks.”  The two watch her leave.  The girl looks at Keith.

“Stop telling lies to our customers.”

“What about you, you’re wearing a disguise.”

“I have to.”  She puts the hood down, her hair shrinks and her glasses come back.  “I’m practicing my magic.”  The door rings again.

“It’s the Kingsbury door.”  Shiro calls.  The girl puts the hood back on and goes back to her disguise.

“Stand by.”  She turns the lock, the wheel clicks red.  A man stands there.

“Greetings.  Is this the home of the great wizard Pendragon?”

“It is.”  Keith looks over and walks down behind the girl.

“Inform him that he is invited to the speak to the king.  All witches and wizards are to required to serve at the palace.”

“I’ll inform him right away.”  She says.  The man bows and walks away.  Keith stares at the door in awe.  They were in a completely different place, his home country.

“This is the royal city!”

“Move it freak or you’ll lose your ears.”  The girl says.  Keith slowly slinks back in.  “And stop wandering around.”  She snaps as she walks back upstairs.  Keith looks at the door, with a mischievous smirk he messes with the lock.  He clicks it green.

He peeks out, it’s the wastes.  He clicks it back to blue, it was back at Porthaven.  He walks back in, giggling like a child he was messing with the lock switching through the colors.

“Knock it off freak, I’m getting angry.”  The girl hissed, poking her head through the railing of the stairs.  Keith looks at her happily.

“This is a magic house, isn’t it?”  He asks playfully.  The girl groans.  “Tell me, where does the black one lead?”

“Only Master Lance knows that.”  She says, she walks towards some cupboards and forces a drawer open.  “I need some breakfast, I’m starving.”  She takes a plate of cheese and a half loaf of bread.

Keith walks over to the mess and found a platter of bacon.  He smiles at the girl.

“Don’t you want some bacon and eggs?”  He asks.  The girl was elbowing things out of the way on the table.

“Yeah but Master Lance isn’t here.”  She says.  Keith picks up the basket of eggs, the platter of bacon and grabs a pan.

“That’s okay, I can cook.”  He says.

“It doesn’t matter if you can cook.  Shiro only listens to Master Lance.” 

“That’s right man, I don’t take any orders from anyone!”  He says.  Keith ignores Shiro and puts the basket down.  He looks down and picks something up.

“Oh there’s my hat.”  Keith picks it up and puts it on the table with the basket.  “That’s better.”  He looks over and pulls his shawl up.  “Alright Shiro, let’s get cooking!”  He says happily.

“I DON’T COOOK!  I’M A SCARY AND POWERFUL FIRE DEMON!  BLA LALALALALALA!”  He stuck his tongue out trying to be scary.

“How would you like a bucket of cold water on your head.”  He says, then leans in and whispers.  “Or maybe I should tell Lance about our bargain?”  He says.  Shiro gasps.

“Oh!  Stupid me… I NEVER SHOULD’VE LET HIM IN HERE!”  The pan was shoved in his face.

“So what’ll it be?”  The pan was shoved in his face, with tons of complaining.  He gave in and Keith smiles.  “That’s right.  That’s a good fire.”  He places some bacon on the pan.

“Here’s a curse for ya.  May all your bacon burn.”  He growls.  The girl was surprised.

“Shiro is listening to what he says.”  She was shocked.

“I want some tea too.  Do you have a kettle?”  Keith asks, the girl nods.

“Yeah.”

“No no no don’t get the kettle!  Who’s side are you on?!  P-Pidge, Pidge don’t get the kettle.”  Shiro’s complaining continues.  Pidge grabs the kettle, the door turns to the black dial and Lance walks in all tired.  Pidge runs up to the railing as Lance walks up the stairs.

“Master Lance!  The kings messengers were here, they want you to report to the palace both as Pendragon, and Jenkins.”  She says, Keith looks over at Lance.  He noticed Lance was walking towards him, Keith panics and went back to cooking.  Lance looks at Shiro.

“Shiro?  You’re being so obedient.”

“Not on purpose!  He bullied me!”  Shiro says.

“Not just anybody can do that.”  Lance was obviously impressed.  He looks over at Keith, his blue eyes visible behind his white hair.  “And you are… who?”  He asks with a smile.  Keith looks up, he looks around.

“Uh… ah you can call me Keith, I’m the new cleaning … kitty?  Uh… I just started work today!”

“Give that to me.”  He pushes against Keith, sliding his hand over Keith’s to take the wooden spoon and took the pan from him.  “Give me two more slices of bacon and six more of those eggs.”  Lance puts the pan in front of Keith.  He looks up and quickly puts two more strips of bacon on and hands Lance a few eggs.

Lance cracks it against the fireplace and throws the eggshells to Shiro, who happily eats them.  The more Lance gave him eggshells the happier he was… he must love eggshells.

“So Keith, who hired you?”  Lance asked.  Keith looked back at Lance and smiles.

“Oh Shiro did!  He sick of how disgusting it is in here.”  He said.  Lance hums, like he was thinking.  Then he smiles and looks over his shoulder.

“Pidge, get the plates!”

“Okay.”  They walk to the table, Shiro looks over at Lance.

“Wait a minute, you’re all gonna eat WHILE I DO ALL THE WORK?!”  He complains yet again, his flairs go everywhere.

“Come have some breakfast Keith!”  Pidge said.  Keith nods and walks over to them, as he walks by Shiro sticks his tongue out.

“Blalalalalalala-”  Lance stacks a few books to make room while Pidge sets everything up.  Keith pulls a stool up to the dirty table and waits for breakfast to be served.  A bowl was pushed towards him while Lance pushes a plate of bacon and eggs to him.  Pidge fills the bowl with tea.  He sweeps some dust and crumbs off the table while everyone else got ready.

“Choose one!”  Pidge held up two spoons and a fork.  “You only get one cause the rest are dirty.”  Keith took a spoon and rubs it clean with his furry hand.

“Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me.”  He mumbles.  Lance cuts the loaf of bread and hands it out.

“Bread Pidge.”

“Thanks.”

“Keith.”

“Yes, thank you.”  He takes the bread from Lance.  Lance puts the loaf down and smiles at the two.  He held up his little bowl of tea.

“So friends, enjoy.  Bon appetit.”

“Bon appetit!”  Pidge said as she lifts her bowl too.  “I can’t remember the last time we had a real breakfast.”  She shoves her face with bacon and eggs.  Keith watches her, his ears go down.

“Even the manners are a mess in this house.”  He comments.  Lance looks up at him with bright eyes.

“So what’s that hidden in your pocket Keith?”  Keith looks up from his breakfast.

“Huh?”  He puts his food down and looks for his dress pocket.  He pulls out a maroon envelope.  “What is this?”  He was confused.

“Give it here.”  Lance held his hand out, Keith hands it to Lance.  Lance’s hand had a little black flame on it.  The envelope fell on the table and left scorch marks.  The two gasp.

“Scorch marks!  Lance can you read them?”  Pidge asks.  Lance smirks.

“This is ancient sorcery, and quite powerful too.”  He says.  Pidge’s eyes went wide.

“The Witch of the Waste!”  That name made Keith’s fur rise.  He growls a bit, Lance didn’t look away from the marks.  He read them out loud.

“You who swallowed a fallen star.  Oh heartless man, your heart shall soon belong to me.”  He said.  “That can’t be good for the table.”  He puts his hand over it, slowly the mark disappeared.  Lance grew a wicked smirk as he erases it, Keith and Pidge watch in awe.  Soon it was gone, like it never was there.

“Woah it’s gone!”  Pidge said.

“The markings may be gone but the spell is still there.”  Lance said.  He got up and took his plate.  “My friends, continue with your meals.”  He carries the plate over to Shiro and scrapes his food off for him to eat.  “Shiro move the castle 30 degrees east.”  He puts the plate down and runs upstairs, a playful smile appears on Lance and he looks at Shiro.  “While your at it run the hot water for my bath.”

“Yeah, like moving the castle isn’t hard enough.”  Shiro sassed off.  Pidge looks over at Keith with suspicious eyes.

“You’re not working for the Witch of the Waste are you?”  She asks, the fur stood on Keith again.  He starts to yell.

“I would never work for that witch!  She’s the one who-mmmm-mmmnnrrmmm.”  He couldn’t speak.  That curse wouldn’t let him speak of it.  He slaps his hands on the table, due to his new strength it caused everything to fly off the table.  Pidge held her plate up so it didn’t suffer the same fate.  “IF I EVER SEE THAT WITCH I’M GONNA WRING HER UGLY NECK!”  He sits back down and glares at Pidge.  “Finish your breakfast.”  He shoves the food in his face.

* * *

Keith sweeps the ceiling and floors, Keith growls as he sweeps everything up.

“You bugs better leave before a sweep your heads off!”  He complains.  “I’ve had enough of this!  People treating me like a freak!  I use to be human!”  He kept going while Pidge runs out and puts everything outside so Keith could clean.  She wore her disguise.

“Excuse me miss?”  An old man got her attention.  “Is my potion ready?”  He asks.

“Come back later, there’s a kitty on a rampage in there.”  She says.

Keith scrubs the floors clean and walks by to get a tarp.  Meanwhile Shiro was crying for help.

“Keith Keith please!  Please I’m falling!  I’m falling!”  He cries.  “Please get me some firewood!”  Keith picks up the last piece of wood Shiro was on.  “What are you doing?  Stop it!  You crazy man with tongs!”  He puts the wood on a pot.

“Quit your crying.  You’re fine.”  Keith said.  “I’m just sweeping up the ashes.”

“No, no I’m not fine!”  Shiro kept crying.  Keith sweeps all the ashes on the tarp.  “Keith please!  I-I’m going out!  I’m going out please, please save me, save me!”  He whines.

“You’re fine.”  Keith said as he wraps the tarp up.

“Keith, hurry.  Keith hurry please.  Hurry up please.”  Keith walks outside.  Shiro whimpers and he falls into the pot.  He goes out slightly.

Lance walks over and takes the pot.  He pulls a heavy object on fire out and sighs.  He puts to logs down and blows gently on the fire.  Keith walks back in and was surprised to see Lance standing there bringing Shiro back to life.  He was wearing different clothes, odd but looked real good on him.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t torment my friend.”  He says.  He walks down the stairs, Pidge passes him and looks over.

“Master Lance, you heading out?”  She asks.  He looks over at her and smiles.

“Pidge, make sure our cleaning kitty cat doesn’t get carried away.”  He said and flies out through the black door, it goes back to blue.

“Keith, what did you do now?”  She asks.  Keith gave her big confused kitty eyes.

“He almost smothered me!”  Shiro tattles.  “If I die Lance dies too I hope you know.”

“Oh be quiet!  You’re alright!”  Keith snaps.  “Now quit bothering me I have a job to do.”  He walks towards the stairs, Pidge jumps over the railing and stops in.

“Stop!  You can’t go up here!”  She says.  Keith gave her a playful smile.

“Whatever you don’t want me to clean you’d better hide it now.”  He says, Pidge panics and looks back.

“Ah!  Uh… Save my room for last okay?!”  She ran upstairs, stumbling a bit in the process.  He chuckles.

“These little outbursts seem to be giving me some energy.”  He says as he walks upstairs.  He looks at how much worse it is in the sleeping quarters.  “What a mess!”  He complains.  He looks in the bathroom, his nose scrunched up at the putrid smell.  How can a girl like Pidge live in this?

The bath was full of dirty water, there were potion spills everywhere, and the toilet seat was up.  He opens the window in hopes of airing it out.  He sticks his head out and gasps.  The castle was moving and it looked great, the view was incredible.

His headband flew off his head.

“Incredible.”  He says in awe.  “SHIRO!  SHIRO ARE YOU THE ONE DOING THIS?!”  He runs back to the main area.

“Of course I am, I’m the only one doing any work.”  Shiro says.  Keith runs over and smiles at him brightly.

“I am thoroughly impressed!”  He says.  “You’re a first class fire demon, I like your spark.”  He winks at Shiro and runs back upstairs.  Shiro turned pink, he was completely embarrassed.

“He likes my SPARK!  HA HA HA!”  A compliment from a beautiful man has fueled him to keep moving the castle.  Keith runs back upstairs.  Pidge sees him and panics.

“AH!  Not ready, not ready!”  She shuts her room door.  Keith ignores her and looks around happily.  He opens the door to a balcony, his dress untucks due to the wind.  He looks at the beautiful view of the lake next to the mountains.  Pidge runs out and joins him.

“It’s beautiful~”  Keith comments.

“Yeah, it’s called Star Lake.”  She says, she notices a branch stuck in the castle.  “Huh?  How did that stick get in there?”

“Oh dear…”  Keith groans, he grabs the stick.  “Give me a hand Pidge.”  They both pull on the stick revealing Turnip Head.  They got him up and stare at him.

“It’s a scarecrow.”  Pidge said, Keith rests a hand on his hip.

“Yup, I’ve been calling him Turnip Head.  Somehow he always manages to get caught upside down.”  He said.  Turnip Head bounces and hops on a ledge on the castle.  The two watch him twirl and bounce around.  “He keeps following me, must’ve taken a liking to me.”  

“That’s weird, are you sure you’re not a wizard Keith?”  Pidge asks, Keith looks at her and smirks.

“Nope, I’m a witch.”  He said.  “I’m the worst kind of witch ever, the kind that cleans~”  He smiles and leans closer to each to her.  She tries not to laugh.

The castle stops at the edge of Star Lake.  Keith and Pidge carried a basket of clothes out, Turnip Head bounces around them happily.  They tied a rope around Turnip Head’s arm and let him bounce away as they did the laundry.  Pidge was getting dragged.

“Quit pulling so hard Turnip Head!”  She strains.  Keith smiles and kept putting laundry on the rope.  Soon enough it was done.  The laundry was up and around the castle, Turnip Head was standing on the castle helping the laundry dry.

Pidge and Keith carried out a table and some chairs, Keith had his hat back on to cover his ears, he was still uncomfortable with them.  They brought food out and tea.  Pidge watches Turnip Head hop around with the laundry.

“I think he likes doing laundry.”  She says, he hops near Star Lake.  Keith took his tea cup and nods.  Pidge took some bread with salami on it and took a bite.  “Maybe he’s a demon.  Shiro doesn’t mind him.”

“You’re right, but he’s the one who lead me here so maybe he’s the good kind.”  He smiles.  He and Pidge watch the lake, seeing the light hit the water peacefully.  The clouds moved across the sky, Turnip Head stood in front of the laundry like a prideful animal.

Hours later Keith moved his chair to the lake’s shore.  He watches the waves roll up and down peacefully.  Smoothing over rocks and hitting the sand gently.  Pidge walks up to Keith and stood next to him.

“We got the laundry put away Keith.”

“Oh thank you Pidge, you know… I never liked watching the scenery before.  But now… I’ve never felt so at peace before.”  He smiles at the waves.  Pidge helped Keith up, he picks the chair up and follows her inside the castle.  Turnip Head standing on the castle watching them.

* * *

The ground was covered in fire, it looked like a lake of lava.  Lance flies around, watching homes crumble and turn to dust.  He looks up at the battleships above, dropping bombs and running into one another, causing the sky to resemble the ground.

Lance flies around the burning ships, another one sends out minions.  Horrid creatures that look like insects mixed with lizards.  They hiss at Lance and went after him, he wasn’t one to hold back though.  He grew an evil smirk and flew right at them.  He tore them up and flew into an opening in the sky.  They creatures couldn’t follow him.

* * *

The castle was quiet and dark, all were asleep even Shiro.  The door clicked to black, then back to blue.  Lance walks in still in his bird like form.  He weakly walks over to the chair in front of Shiro and flops down.  Shiro wakes up and looks at Lance as he puts his feet up.

“Woah… you okay?  I mean you smell terrible.  Lance breaths heavily, trying to relax after what he just did.  Lance sighs and changed back.

He grunts in pain, his wings formed back into arms.  His talons formed back into his shoes, his legs formed back, and the feathers on his face disappeared, his hair back to it’s white color.  He sighs when he finished.

“You shouldn’t keep flying around like that.  Soon you won’t be able to turn back into a human.”  Shiro warns.  He reaches over with his fire arms and takes a log.  He smiles as he puts it down in front of him.  “Isn’t this great?  Keith left these here for me.”  Lance sat up a little and looks down.

“This war is terrible.  They’ve bombed from the southern coast to the northern border, it’s nothing but flames now.”  He said in sadness.

“I can’t stand the fire in gunpowder.  Those dopey guys have absolutely no manners.”  Shiro said in a pout.  Lance looks at his friend with a defeated smirk.

“My own kind attacked me today.”

“The Witch of the Waste?”

“No, some hag wizards who turned themselves into monsters for the king.”  He said.  Shiro looks at Lance with a sympathetic look.

“Those wizards are going to regret doing that.”  He closes his eyes in sadness.  “They can never turn back into humans.”

“After the war they’ll never recall being human.”

“Hey aren’t you supposed to report to the king?”  Shiro asks, Lance got up quickly.

“I’m tired.”  He walks off.  “Make some hot water for my bath.”

“What?!  Not again.”  Shiro whines.  Lance walks up to the curtain that separates Keith’s “room” and the living area.  He draws it back and sees dark hair curled around cream colored shoulders.  Keith was curled up in a ball sleeping soundly.  His pale hands curled close to his face.  Lance looks at him, the real him, before he was cursed.  Without saying a word he closed the curtain and leaves him to his dreams.

* * *

The water was turned on waking Keith up.  His ears were perked up and his hair sticking out in all directions.  He brushed it out with his clawed fingers and started to tie it back.  He pulls the curtain back and looks at Shiro.

“Shiro, is Lance back?”

“Yeah and he’s wasting all my hot water!”  Shiro said and took a bite out of the last log that was left out for him.  While Lance was taking a bath Keith and Pidge went grocery shopping.  Keith was wearing his usual dress and hat to again hide his ears, he was holding an empty basket.

“I don’t understand why we’re going.  Master Lance hardly eats anything.”  Pidge walks out in her disguise.

“Too bad.”  Keith said, someone waves to Keith.  He smiles and waves back.  The two walked to the market.  “Don’t you just love early morning markets?  And look at the water!  I’ve never seen the ocean before, it’s beautiful~”

“It always looks like that.”  Pidge said, she didn’t get what Keith was so excited about.

The market is full of people shopping.  Keith was at a produce booth picking out potatoes, Pidge watches and grumbles.

“Ulg, I hate potatoes.”

“Pay up.”  Keith said with a smile.  Pidge hands the man money and follows Keith again.  He stops at a fish market, the man looks at Keith with a bright smile as he looked through.

“All our fish were caught fresh this morning.”

“Ulg, I hate fish.”  Pidge grumbles again.  Keith ignores her and looks through the fish, trying to be careful not to damage any with his claws.  People started running by, Pidge looks over and watches them.  They kept saying that one of their ships came back and it looked horrible.  Finally a man said something to the shopkeeper.

“Seems like a serious battle just happened!”

“What happened?  Sorry lady, we’re closed.”  He said to Keith and runs with the crowd.  A boat comes back, it looked completely wrecked.  People were rowing up to the boat, the crew members hoping out into the water.  Pidge was watching with interest.

“Come on Keith!  Let’s get a better view!”

“No, I’ve seen enough, let’s just go home.”  He says in a worried voice, his hat twitching due to his ears.  He looks over and saw someone in an odd colored suit looking at the damage.  It was a disgusting glob monster.  He panics and leans into the wall.  “The witches henchmen are here!”

“What?!”  Pidge asks.

“Quiet down!  They’re only a few feet away!”  Keith said.  The henchmen walks away, Keith held onto his hat to hide his face.  Cause purple creature with long white hair was common.  “He’s gone.  I wonder why no one else noticed him.”

“Keith no one questions you.”  Pidge points out, he pouts at her.  As soon as that happened bombs came down and hit the water.  Keith panics with everyone else.  Pidge’s hood falls off ruining her disguise and points up.

“Look up there Keith!”  He looks up.  Keith panics, it was an enemy ship sending propaganda.  Keith picks up Pidge, who was holding the basket, and takes her home as fast as he could.

They made it in the house and Keith leans against the staircase breathing heavily.

“Keith, you okay?”  Pidge asks.  Keith looks at her still breathing heavily.

“I’m fine, I just… just need some water.”  He said.  Pidge leads him up and runs to the faucet.

“I’ll get it.”  Pidge runs over and puts the basket down.  She grabs a glass for Keith, he sat down in front of Shiro and sighs, of course no rest for him cause a dramatic cry of distress comes from upstairs.  Both Keith and Pidge look up to see what that was, though it obviously sounded like Lance.

He runs out with a towel around his waist, while covering his face.  His hair was now an orange color.  He runs to the stairs and shouts at Keith.

“KEITH!  YOU SABOTAGED ME!”  He screams as he ran downstairs and right at Keith.  Showing him his hair.  “LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO MY HAIR!  LOOK!”

“What a pretty color.”  Keith says with a smile.

“IT’S HIDEOUS!”  He cries.  “YOU’VE COMPLETELY MESSED WITH MY MAGIC POTIONS IN THE BATHROOM!”  He said as he pulls on his now orange hair.  Keith just stares at him with big eyes.  He gave him a smile.

“I just organized things Lance, nothing’s ruined.”  He said.

“Wrong, wrong!”  He cried.  “I specifically told you not to get carried AWAY!”  Lance shouts, tears falling out of his eyes like a total drama queen.  “Now I’m repulsive.”  He flops down on the chair.  “I can’t live like this…”

He cries, Keith was so confused.  Lance was usually so calm and collected, now he’s acting like a priss.  He kept crying and whimpering.

“Hey now quit your crying, it’s not so bad.”  Keith said.  Lance kept ignoring him and continued to cry.  His orange hair changes color, it stopped at a dark brown, a little darker than his skin tone.  Keith looks at it and smiles.  “Hey look at it now, it’s shade is even prettier.”

“I give up.  I see no point in living if I can’t be beautiful.”  He mutters.  Keith just stares at him.  Then the castle started to shake, the room grew dark, shadows emerged from the cracks in the wood.  Keith looked around in surprised fear while Pidge clung to him.

Shiro was hiding in the wood.

“Lance, Lance stop it.  Stop it right now.  Lance!”  Shiro was trying to calm him down.

“He’s calling the spirits of darkness.”  Pidge said to Keith.  “I saw this once before when a girl dumped him.”  She said, Keith gave Pidge an ‘are you serious?’ face.  He decided to take matters into his own hands and walks over to Lance.

“Now Lance, it’s alright.”  He said in a calm voice.  “We’ll just dye your hair back, okay?  It’s an easy fix.”  He puts one hand on Lance’s shoulder, then he gasps when he saw slime covered his hand.  Lance was wide eyed and frozen, covering his body in what looked like mucus.

Keith steps back in horror.  He closed his hand and began to cry.

“FINE YOU THINK YOU HAVE IT BAD?!”  He starts.  “I’VE NEVER BEEN BEAUTIFUL ONCE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!”  He shouts and runs down the stairs, he changes it to the wastes and runs out.  “I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS PLACE!”

He runs outside in the rain and stops in front of Star Lake.  He couldn’t hold it in, he cried.  He hates it here, he hates that stupid wizard, that witch, and he hates himself.  He was always an unattractive boy, never looked as beautiful as his mother.  Now look at him, a monster.  No man would ever want to be with him, especially like this.  Life was unfair.  What did he do to deserve this kind of treatment.

Turnip Head hops up with an umbrella in his hands.  He stood next to Keith to keep him shielded from the rain.  He stops crying for a moment and looks at Turnip Head with surprise, though a smile grew on Keith’s face.

“Thank you Turnip Head, when did you grow to be so kind?”  He asks happily.  Pidge runs out and grabs Keith’s arm.

“Keith!”  She looks up at him with panic written all over her face.  “You’ve got to come back inside, Lance is in trouble!”  She says.  Meanwhile inside Shiro was holding his last log up while walking away from the mucus spilling all over the fireplace.

“Lance, Lance knock it off.  Stop it, cut it out.  I’m gonna drown, I’m drowning… Keith!  Keith help me please!”  Shiro calls as he sees Keith walk back in.  “Help him, help him please!”

Keith looks at him and smiles, he takes his hat off to free his ears.

“Such drama.”  He said, Pidge held his arm and looks at him.

“Is he dead?”

“What?  No, he’s just throwing a tantrum.”  He rolls his sleeves up.  “Come on, help me with him.”  Keith said.  Pidge watches Keith walk over and nods.

“Okay.”  They both push the chair he was sitting in to the stairs, leaving a mucus trail behind them.  Keith helps Lance up the stairs, putting one of his arms over his shoulders and carries him up.  Pidge was running up the stairs.

“Get the hot water running!”  He tells her.

“Right!”  She calls back.  Keith looks at Lance who was still a mess.

“Come on Lance you can still walk.”  A splat was heard on the stairs, Keith’s ears perk up and looks down behind him.  Lance’s towel fell off.  Keith stiffens up, he slowly looks back up the stairs and continues to walk while ignoring the fact that he was helping a naked Lance up the stairs.  He helped Pidge get Lance in the tub.  “Make sure you clean him up good Pidge.”

“Okay.”  She says, Keith closes the door and looks at the floor.  His ears went down and he sighs.

“Now I have to mop again.”

* * *

Outside of the house on the Porthaven side they were sending the news about the war.  Saying that the enemy has reached the border.  Inside the castle Lance was resting in his room, his hair was that same dark brown, he didn’t change it.  Keith knocks on his door.

“Lance?  I’m coming in.”  He opens the door and looks at the room, it was covered in weird objects and toys.  Plush toys were scattered around his bed, Keith stares at the weird eye on his door for a bit.  He looks away from it and walks to Lance.

“I brought you some warm milk.  Want a sip?”  He asks, Lance shook his head.  Keith’s ears went down.  He puts it down on the table next to his bed.  “I’ll leave it here, try to drink it before it gets cold.”  He turns and walks away.

“Keith… wait…”  Lance calls weakly.  Keith looks over at Lance, he walks back and smiles at him.

“You want some milk?”  He asks sweetly.  Lance shook his head, Keith sighs and pulls a chair up to sit next to him.  The mobile above his bed stops and the purple jewel began to sparkle, he gasps in fear.

“The Witch of the Waste is trying to find my castle!”  He says.  Keith looks up at the gem, he looks back at Lance.

“I saw her henchmen at the harbor.”  He tells him, Lance looks to the side sadly.

“I’m such a big coward, all I do is run.  And I use this magic to keep everyone away.  I can’t stand how scared I am.”  He says sadly, he looks away from Keith.

“Lance, why is the Witch hunting you down?”

“She’s the mother of a wizard who was quite beautiful, so I pursued him.  Then I realized he’s not… so I ran.  However he… passed away.  She blames me for it.”  Lance said.  Keith sighs and looks down.  “I can’t keep hiding, I have to report to the castle as both Pendragon and Jenkins.”

“How many aliases do you have?”

“Enough to keep my freedom.”

“Then refuse the king’s offer.”  Keith said, Lance points up at a piece of paper with scissors and knives sticking out of it.

“See that?  That’s the contract I signed when I entered the royal sorcerer academy.  I must see the king if I am summoned.”  He said.  Keith looks at Lance with a smile.

“You know, I think you should see the king.”

“Wha-?!”  Lance looks at him with wide eyes.  Keith gave him a determined smile.

“Give him a piece of your mind!  Tell him this war is pointless!”  He said with pride.  Lance sighs and rolls his eyes.

“You obviously have no idea what these people are like.”

“But he’s our king, he should like to know what all his citizens have to say.”  They stayed quiet for a moment, Lance finally shot up and got in Keith’s face.

“That’s it!”  He smiles at Keith, his hair flowing around his face.  “Why don’t you go to the castle for me!”

“What?”  He asks.

“Just say your Pendragon’s cousin and that Pendragon is such a coward that he’s too afraid to show his face!”

Thus Keith was dragged into this horrible plan.  He puts his hat on begrudgingly to hide his ears.  He wore a bright red dress that looked really well on him.  Pidge and Shiro watch as Keith got himself ready.  Lance was wrapped in a blanket with pink slippers, he watched Keith with confusion.

“You’re wearing that hat?  After I used my magic to make your dress so pretty?”  He asks, Keith ignored him, he took his cane and looked at Pidge.

“Take care of him Pidge.”

“Okay.”  She nods.  Keith walks down the stairs.

“Good luck.”  Shiro calls.  Keith made it to the stairs.  Lance hops down, he grabs Keith’s hand and slid a ring on one of his fingers.

“This charm will protect you.”  He said.  “Don’t worry, I’ll follow right behind.  Now off you go.”  He pushes Keith out the door.  Keith looks down at the ring and sighs.

“Why do I feel like this isn’t going to work?”  He walks down the road, cars pass him by quickly.  He looks at a few birds flying by.  “Wonder what Lance is gonna disguise himself as, surely not a crow.”  He looks at a few pigeons on a statue.  “Surely not a pigeon, he’s too flamboyant for that.”  A plane flies by, a soldier flying a cute giggling girl around.  Keith gave a judgemental look.  “That could be him.”

He walks passed the guards and sighs at how far he has to walk.

“Look how far I have to walk.”  He complains, he sucks it up and walks towards the castle.  Soldiers were in the yard letting people on for a ride.  Slinking past them was a black cat, it looked bored with life.  It saw Keith and walked by his side.  Keith looks down and raised an eyebrow.

The cat looks at him, Keith wonders.

“Lance?  Is that you?”  He asks.  “You disguised yourself as an old cat?”  The cat looks at him and makes a little mewl noise.  Keith pouts.  “Really?  Is that suppose to be some kind of sick joke?”  He asks coldly.  “You know I didn’t always look like a cat.”  He looks over to his right side, he jumps.  The Witch’s henchmen were carrying her to the palace, her face appears in the window of her little carriage.

“Well look who it is.”  She says.  “It’s the little boy from the tacky hat shop.”

“The Witch of the Waste.”  Keith whispers.  He looks at the cat then back at the witch.

“Thank you for sending my scorching love note to Lance.”  Keith rolls his eyes.  “How’s he doing by the way?”

“He’s being a big baby, and he’s working me to the bone as his cleaning kitty.”  She snickers.

“Oh how delightful.”  She says.  “So tell me, what brings you to the castle?”

“Job hunting, I’m sick of working for Lance.  What about you?”

“I received a royal invitation.  That idiot Allura finally realized how much she needs my powers.”  She sounded cocky.  Keith glares at her.

“If you’re so great why don’t you break the spell on me.”  He sassed.  The witch smirks.

“I’m sorry, my talents lie in casting spells not breaking them.”  She says.  “Bye, little kitty.”

“Hey!”  Her henchmen move faster.  “I’m not done with you!  Get your ugly butt back here right now!”  Keith runs towards her.  He glares at the cat.  “Hurry up!  If I didn’t have you to worry about I would’ve beat her.”

The henchmen walked past the gate, then a spell from the ground is cast below them.  The witch’s henchmen fell, practically melting.  She pokes her head out.

“What is wrong with you two?”  She asks.  A man waiting at the stairs calls to her.

“Sorry ma’am, vehicles are prohibited.  You must continue on foot!”  That made the witch grumble.

“That Allura.  Using her magic to make me climb all those god forsaken stairs.”  She takes out a potion and breathes it in, it likely boosted her stamina.  She got out of her carriage and began to walk up the stairs.

Keith walks over the gate, the spell affected him as well.  He suddenly felt weak, he takes a deep breath and looks at the ground.

“Dammit…”  He growls, however Keith was anything if not stubborn.  “Not stopping me, come on Lance!”  He made it to the stairs, lifting his dress he began to walk up.  He was so weak and tired, these stairs were kicking his butt.  The cat walks around in a circle and pouts, making a little mewl noise again.  Keith looks back and groans.  He walks over and picks the cat up, the spell was affecting him more than he thought.  He can lift up Pidge just fine, but for some reason the cat was just too heavy.

“Urg Lance!  Why are you so heavy?!”  He groans and walks up the stairs, the Witch was slower than him.  She was way too old for this.  She saw Keith go past her.

“W-Wait, help me.  I can’t make it.”

“What did you say?  You say… you remember… to break the spell you put on me?”  He glares at her, Keith was so sassy ever since he changed.

“I told you… I don’t know how!”  She shouts back, breathing heavily.  Keith pouts.

“Well… Start studying!”  He shouts.  He kept walking without her.  The witch stops and shook her head.

“I don’t get it.  Where does he get all that energy?”  She kept walking.  Keith stops at one point and puts the cat down.

“I’ve gotta rest for a bit.  That spell is making me weaker.”  He says.  The cat looks over at the Witch who was sweating up a storm and breathing like someone who was close to death.  Keith looks at her pathetically.  “Why don’t you just give up.  You’re killing yourself!”  He says, she glares at him.

“I’ve waited… for fifty years… ever since that Allura banished me to the wastes!”

“Well good luck to ya then.  Too bad I’m considered a monster.  Otherwise I’d give you a hand.”  He looks back at the cat.  “Come on Lance.”  He looks over at the Witch again.

“You cold hearted freak!  Next time I’ll turn you senile too!”  She threats.  Keith made it to the top.  He puts the cat down and walks up, he sees the witch was still trying.

“Come on!  You’re almost there!”  He calls.  A man walks over to him.

“All honored guests please come this way.”

“Why don’t you go help her up?”

“I’m strictly forbidden to offer such assistance.”  He said.

“Well that’s rude.  The king invited her.”  He looks back at the Witch.  “Come on!  Let’s go!”  He was cheering her on.  “That’s it.  Well are you a witch or aren’t you!”  She finally got up the stairs.

“Just shut up.”

“What happened to you, you look so much older!”  Keith freaks out.  They both walk into the building, Keith gave the Witch his cane.  He didn’t need it, the spell on him wore off when he made it to the top.

“Ms. Pendragon and the Witch of the Waste!”  Someone calls.  Keith looks at the Witch with a raised eyebrow.

“Come on, isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for?”  Keith asks in a cold tone.

“Introducing Ms. Pendragon and the Witch of the Waste.”  

“Pendragon… why does that sound so familiar?”  The Witch asks.

“Uh, cause that was the name of my tacky hat shop remember?”  He said still sounding cold.

“Was that what that was?”  She asks.  They walk into a room with one chair.  The Witch gasps and runs to it.  “A chair!  It’s mine!”  She sat down and sighs in relief.  Meanwhile the cat ran to another room, Keith glares.

“Lance!  Get back here!”  He whispers.  He saw that the Witch was occupied so he decides to follow the cat.  It was a dead end, well so much for that.  The wall opens up, Keith jumps.  A small boy was on the other side, Keith was about ready to attack, hell his claws here out.

“Follow me Ms. Pendragon.”  He follows the boy.  Meanwhile in the other room with the Witch she notices a curtain open.  She sees a lightbulb was revealed, confused by the sight she panics as another one was revealed, and another, and another.  They lit.

She screams in pain, it hurt, the light hurt.  As she doubles over in pain a bunch of shadows walk around her.

* * *

Keith was lead into a garden area, the mayor and other men were with someone, a woman in a wheelchair holding a staff.  Her white hair was in a bun and her skin was very dark, Keith had to admit she was beautiful.  They bowed to her and left, the little boy whispers to her.  She signs something, he takes it and leaves Keith alone with the woman.  She looks over and smiles.

“So… you’re Lance’s cousin?”  She asks.

“Y-Yes, I’m Ms. Pendragon.”  He nods.  She gestures to the chair across from her.

“You sound rather masculine to be a Ms.”  She says.  “You must be tired, please have a seat.”

“O-Okay.”  He walks over to the seat, sitting down and looking at her with his usual big eyes.  The lady smiles and looks at Keith.

“I am Madam Allura, his majesty’s head sorcerous.”  Allura introduces herself.  Keith looks down, he sees the cat sitting under Allura’s desk.  He had to ask.

“That’s not your cat is it?”

“His name is Kova, he’s my errand cat.  I had him escort you here.”  She said.  Keith sighs, he can’t believe he thought that cat was Lance.  Also Lance didn’t follow him, so he was alone.  “I take it Lance won’t be joining us?”  Keith looks back at her and nods.

“He’s such a lazy boy, he sent me instead.  I’m afraid the king would find him completely useless.  Not surprising though.”  Keith said.

“I’m very sorry to hear that, Lance was the last apprentice I took on.”  Allura looks down sadly.  “I’ve never seen such a gifted young student.  I was so happy to have finally found someone talented enough to replace me.”  Keith sat up a bit listening to Allura’s words.  “Then one day Lance’s heart was stolen by a demon, he ran away and never completed his apprenticeship.  Since then he’s been using his magic for completely selfish reasons.”  Allura said, the room went silent for a bit.  “Ms. Pendragon.”

“Yes?”

“That boy is extremely dangerous.  His powers are far too great for someone who doesn’t have a heart.”  Keith hesitated upon hearing that.  “If he continues to be selfish I’m afraid he’ll end up just like the Witch of the Waste.  Send in Honerva!”  She calls.

The same boy brought in a shriveled old lady in.  She was holding her knees, breathing heavily.  Her eyes looked like Keiths, she had red marks going down her face, and her hair was falling in her face.  He panics.

“Oh my God!  What happened to you?!”  He grabs her shoulders and looks at her.  Allura smiles.

“I’ve just restored her to her true age.  She looks more like a Haggar now, don’t you think?”  She asks.  “She too was a sorcerous with so much promise.  But after the death of her son Lotor, she fell prey to a demon of greed who slowly consumed her body and soul.”  She said, giving Keith a cold stare.  “Our kingdom can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to these disreputable witches and wizards.  If Lance reports to me and agrees to use his magic to serve the kingdom I will show him how to free himself from his demon.”  Allura looks Keith dead in the eyes.  “If not I’ll strip him of his powers, just like her.”

Keith glares at her, he shot up and stares Allura down.

“That is enough!”  That made the cat jump.  “Now I understand why Lance was so concerned about coming to see you!  This, it’s all a trap!  You lure people here with an invitation from the king, then strip them of their powers!”  Keith snaps.  “Lance would never be so heartless!  Sure… he may be selfish and cowardly.  Also sometimes he’s hard to understand, but his intentions are good.  He just wants to be free.”  Keith smiles.  “Lance won’t come here, he doesn’t need your help.”  He started to change, his purple skin goes back to a white color, his white hair turns dark.  “He can fix his demon problem on his own.  I’m certain of it.”  He says with confidence.

Allura smirks at Keith, she figured him out.

“Now I understand, you’re in love with Lance.”  She says, Keith gasps and suddenly turns back into his monster form.  He felt someone tug at his dress, it was Haggar.

“What?  Lance?  Did you say Lance was coming?”  She was crying.  “I want his heart!  His heart, it belongs to Lotor!  It belongs to him, I want it!”  She cries.  Keith grabs her arms.

“H-Hey calm it!”  He says.  “Lance isn’t coming here.”  A plane above flies dangerously close to the castle’s glass ceiling.  Allura looks up and smirks.

“Oh… I think he will.”  She says, giving Keith a devious grin.  “I now know his weakness, Ms. Pendragon.”  The person on the plane hops off, he stands out.

Orange hair, mustache.  A great suit, he was a gorgeous man.  It was the king, King Coran.  Allura nods at him.

“Your majesty.”

“As you were.”  He says to Allura.  “Madam Allura, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Thought I’d drop by.  Rather do that than sit through a dull war meeting.”  He says.  Allura smiles sweetly at him.

“What an honor.”  She sounded like a woman talking to her child, believing in their lies.  The king looks at Keith and Haggar.

“Who are your guests?”

“That is Lance’s cousin, Ms. Pendragon.”  Allura says.  He walks over to Keith, staring him down.  Keith curtsies slightly.

“Thanks for coming.  But I’ve decided to not use magic to win this war.”  He says, Keith perks up a bit.  “We’ve tried using Madam Allura’s magic to shield the palace from the bombs, but they fall on civilian homes instead.  Isn’t that right Allura.”

“You’re so eloquent today your majesty.”  She chuckles.

“ALLURA MA MAN!”  Someone shouts as they walked in.  Another king… wait what?  Keith looks back and forth at the two.  He was going crazy.  “I’ve got a new battle plan!  This time we’re gonna beat em to a pulp!”  He looks over at the doppleganger.  He began to laugh.  “Allura that’s the best double of me yet!  HA!  Keep up the good work!”

“Your majesty.”  She bows slightly.  The king walks past one of his guards.

“Assemble my generals!”

“Sir.”  The guard nods at the king.  The room went silent, everyone was staring at one another.

“It’s so nice to see you again Lance.”  Allura said, the king bows.

“You’re looking well Madam Allura.”

“Rather weak disguise, didn’t I teach you better?”  She sassed.

“I’m not trying to out wit you.”  He grabs Keith by the shoulder and held him close.  He changed back.  “I kept my oath, I came when summoned.  Now my cousin and I will go.”  He says, Allura grew another devious smirk.

“I’m afraid not.”  She slams her staff down causing what looked like stars to appear under her, then water rushes at the three on the other side.  The beautiful blue water turned black.  Keith curled up staying close to Lance who was standing there calmly.  Haggar was clinging to Keith’s dress trying not to float away.  The water fades into the sky, they were floating far above the land.  Haggar looks down and panics, she clung to Keith in fear, her hat flies off.

Lance held onto Keith tight.

“Whatever you do, don’t look down.”  He tells Keith.  Allura looks at them with that same grin.

“It’s time to show your “cousin” who you really are, Lance.”  She says.  Then the sky was full of shooting stars.  Keith watched them fly by, one hit Haggar, she clung to Keith tighter.  Keith curls up into Lance and closed his eyes, he feared the stars.  Soon enough it looked like they were circling them.

Lance’s face turned twisted, the stars grew bodies, their shadows behind them, they heard singing.  Was that the stars?

Keith opens his eyes and gasps.  Lance’s hand that was holding Keith turned into a claw, feathers cover his whole body.  His feet turned into talons, his wings grew out of his back.  He roars in pain as he changes.  Allura appears before them, her staff turned into a weapon.  Keith panics.

“LANCE NO IT’S A TRAP!”  He shrieks.  Lance brought Keith close and flew up, the weapon was thrown too late, Keith’s hat fell off and was the victim of the vicious weapon.

Lance flew away from the shadows that chased them and through the glass ceiling.  He gracefully falls down on the little plane.  He starts it up.

“Hold on.”  They flew up.  Kova runs out and jumps onto the plane, hitting Keith’s shoulder and lands on it’s back, looking directly at Haggar.  The four flew from Allura and the castle.

“Keith, sit up here.”  Lance instructs.  Keith walks over and tries to keep his dress down before he sat.  “Did you have to bring those two?”  Keith looks behind him as he shoves his dress between his legs.

Haggar was sitting there with a small yet cute smile.  She was all curled up in her coat holding Kova in it.

“Nice kitty.”  She says, Kova mewls again.  Keith’s ears went down and pouts at the cat.

“I can’t believe you work for Allura.”  He looks back front.  “Guess it’s too late to toss him.”

“Keith.”  He looks back at Lance.  “Take the wheel.”

“What?!  I can’t fly, are you kidding?!”  He looks at Lance like he was nuts.

“They’re gaining on us.”  Lance says that as to say he has no choice.  Behind a smiling Haggar the kings planes fly after them.  “I’ll distract them while you fly this thing back to my castle in the wastes.”

“What?!  How will I know the way?!”  He asks in a panic.

“Don’t worry Kitty.”  Lance says with a smile.  “That ring I gave you is connected to Shiro, he’ll guild you back.  All you have to do is let Shiro into your heart.”  Keith looks at the ring.

“Shiro?”  The ring began to glow.  Keith looks at it in shock.  “It’s actually glowing.”  He moves his hand, the light was pointing the way.  Like a compass.

“Just follow that light and you’ll be home before dark.”

“I can’t do this!  Why did you make me come when you were coming here yourself?!”  Keith snaps.

“Knowing you’d be there gave me the courage to come.  That woman terrifies me, I can’t face her alone.”  He got closer to Keith’s face, that caused Keith to turn away and pout.  “You saved me Keith, I was in big trouble back there.”  Lance smiles and lets go of the wheel.  Keith looks back and shrieks.

“EEK!  YOU IDIOT!  DON’T LET GO, DON’T LET GO!”  The plane turns sideways and was falling to the ground.  Keith turns the wheel like a madman trying not to run into anyone or anything.  They went through an open bell tower.  They knocked into it a bit.  Lance looks back at it.

“Wow you’re good.”  He teases.

“ARE YOU NUTS?!”  Keith snaps again.  The planes were still after them.  Lance looks back again.

“We got a good lead on them.  I can give you brief invisibility for five minutes so use it wisely.”  With a swift movement of his arm he separates them, making Keith and the other two invisible.  Keith panics again.

“LAAAANCE!”

“Good luck!”  He salutes.  Leading the planes away, Keith looks back front and saw a tree in his way.  He sucks up all his fear and pulls back on the wheel and was thrusted upwards.  They escaped Allura’s army.


	3. True Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... I need a break... and a drink... and a nap... this took me all day. My computer kept shutting the movie off so I had to keep loading it back up and click on where I last was. Long day. But I got it done. Enjoy the last chapter.

Allura’s servents get her staff unstuck from the chair and hat while a few others were offering her a drink.

“No not now.”  She says sweetly, they bow as they were dismissed.  The others brought her staff back.  “Oh thank you.”  She takes it back.  “That was the most fun I’ve had in ages.  Lance thinks he’s evaded me, well…”  She held the hat up with a snarky smile.  “I suppose his cousin can help.”

* * *

Thus Kingsbury and Porthaven soldiers were forcing the doors open to the Lance’s hideouts.  Finally bursting through and to their surprise both buildings were empty, and run down.  The buildings looked as nobody has inhabited them in years.  He’s evaded them yet again.

* * *

Keith was flying through the rain back to the castle with Haggar and Kova.  Haggar was all bundled up in her coat with Kova to keep them dry.  Keith wasn’t so lucky and was completely wet.  He flew above the clouds and sees his hometown.  He looks back at the two.

“Almost there, that’s my hometown below us.”  He says.  Kova pokes his head out and mewls.  Keith’s ears went down and he pouts again.  “Don’t try to be cute cat, I still don’t trust you.”  He looks back and continued to fly, he looks down at his old town and wonders how everyone is doing.  Wonders if anyone in the shop misses him, if they even know he was gone.

He sees the castle walking up to them.  He smiles.

“The castle is coming to meet us.”  He says.  Pidge was waving the plane down.

“KEEEEITH!  OVER HERE!”

“PIDGE HELP ME!  HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO LAND THIS THING?!”  He panics.  The castle practically eats the plane.  It crashed into the main room, where Keith sleeps.  Debris flies by Shiro, then a chuck of the wall hits him dead in the face.  He peaks over it and sees the mess Keith had made.  Pidge crawls on the debris to find Keith.

“Keith?  Hello, you okay?”  She saw Haggar look around and smiles back at Kova.

“Nice kitty.”  Kova mewls again, Pidge stiffens in fear at the stranger.  She looks over at the sound of debris moving.

“Pidge, I’m home~”  He sings as he climbs down.  Pidge runs up to him.

“Keith!  Are you hurt?”  She asks.  Keith slides down the debris with a smile, Pidge quickly wraps her arms around him and smiles.  “I missed you!”

“Oh Pidge.”  He hugs her back.  “I missed you too, thank you for coming to meet us.”  He says.  The castle continues to move.

* * *

Everyone was asleep in the castle.  Haggar took Keith’s spot on the couch with Kova curled up on next to the sleeping witch.  Keith took a mattress and put it on the floor, he was back to his original form sound asleep.

The door creaks open, Shiro woke up and gasps.  Bloody footprints walks through the main room.

“No oh no you’ve gone too far this time!”  He says.  Lance’s body fully appears and he walks past the damage that the plane cost.  He walks up the stairs.

Keith’s violet eyes slowly open.  He shot up and looks at the stairs.

“I wonder if Lance is back home.”  He looks down and sees a black feather next to a bloody footprint.  He looks at the feather in confusion, he slowly picks it up.  It disintegrates at our touch.  He gasps and looks up at the stairs in concern.

He reaches for his boots, pulling his pink nightgown up to slide his boots on easier.  He grabs a candle and follows the bloody footprints.  He saw the stairs were covered in blood and feathers, looking like something Keith could only see in his nightmares.  He gathered up his courage and continued on.  He stops in front of Lance’s room and calls.

“Lance?”  Nothing.  He slowly opens the door and held the candle up to get a better view.  He sees that Lance’s room has turned into a cave.  He closes the door behind him and walks into the cave.  He stops when he sees the cave split into two.

Keith hears heavy breathing from the left, he walks in and sees a mass of feathers curled in a ball.  Keith carefully walks up and looks at the mass.

“Lance?  Is that you?”  He asks.  Lance curls up more, still breathing heavily.  “Are you in pain?  Tell me what’s wrong.”  He says, desperately wants to help.  A low growl comes from Lance.

“Go away…”  It barely sounded like him.  Keith shook his head.

“No I’m not going away.  I’m going to help you break this spell you’re under!”  He says.  Lance stood up, he looked horrifying.

“You… you can’t even break your own spell.”

“But you don’t understand, I love you!”

“You’re too late!”  Lance’s wings grew and he flies away.  Feathers surround him, Keith was back to his monstrous form. 

“LANCE NO!”

* * *

The water turned on causing Keith to wake up, his violet eyes wide open.  He was still in his bed, everything was the same as it was when he fell asleep.  Just… just a bad dream.  He looks back at Shiro.

“Shiro did Lance just get home?”

“Yeah and he looks terrible, you’d better fix the spell on us quick!”  He says, Keith narrows an eyebrow.  “Lance is running out of time, I hope you realize that!”

“You mean he’ll turn into a monster, is that it?”  He snaps.  Shiro started to flicker.

“I can’t tell you the details of the curse kitty, you should know that by now.”  He says, Keith got up and stares him down.

“You wanna know what Madam Allura told me?”  He asks in a sweet voice, Shiro hid in the logs.  “She told me Lance’s heart was stolen by a demon.  Tell me, what do you know about it?”  He asks in a sly tone, Shiro came out from hiding.

“I’m sorry but that information is confidential.”

“What if I dumped a bucket of cold water on your head.”  He snaps.  Went back to hiding.

“I you drown me, Lance dies too!”

* * *

Keith walks out and stares at the damage on the castle.  His ears went down in annoyance, it looks bad.  He heard bouncing, he looks up and smiles, knowing who was there.

“Hi Turnip Head.”  Keith looks back.  “This isn’t going to be easy.”

The next thing they were doing was tying the rope to a plane.  Pidge was pulling outside with Kova at her feet.  The rope was around wrapped around Turnip Head’s waist.  She looks up at Keith.

“OKAY, WE’RE READY!”

“ALRIGHT!”  Keith calls back, standing in the mouth of the castle.  He walks back in.  “Shiro open it wider.”  He grabs onto the plane.  “Here we go!”  He starts pushing.  Pidge, Turnip Head, and Kova were pulling on the rope.

Despite Keith being stronger he still couldn’t push the plane.

“Oh come on… MOVE!”  He got upset and kicks it.  He heard the engine start up, his ears perk up in curiosity and confusion.  Then the plane began to move.  Keith backs away from the plane, it flew out of the castle.  And right at the three outside, Pidge screams as they ran from it.

The three ran over a rock, causing Pidge to trip.  She got up and kept running and screaming, the plane hit the rock and broke apart.  The three look at the plane, then at each other.  Pidge began to laugh, Kova ran round happily and Turnip Head did a dance.  Meanwhile Keith was sweeping up the ruble.  

“I’ll just put a curtain here and Lance won’t notice.”  He sees the three running around, playing.  “COME ON IN, IT’S TIME TO EAT!”  He calls to them.

* * *

Shiro was staring Haggar down, she was staring at Shiro happily.  Keith held up another spoonful of porridge.

“Here, would you like some more?”  He asks, Haggar looks back and takes a bite.

“Don’t feed her!  That’s the Witch of the Wastes!”  Shiro says.

“Oh she’s alright, also her name is Haggar.”  Keith said as he scooped up another spoonful.

“She keeps staring at me, it’s freaking me out!”  He hisses.  Haggar looks back at him.

“What a pretty fire.”  She says sweetly, Shiro hid back in the logs.  They all heard someone running down the stairs.  Lance walks in wearing a plain white blouse and tight black pants with black shoes.  The thing everyone noticed was he cut his hair, it was a lot shorter.

“Good morning everybody!”  He says happily.

“Oh good morning.”  Keith said.  Pidge smiles at him.

“Master Lance, can we keep this cat?”

“Allura’s cat and the Witch of the Waste eating at my table?”  He looks at them then back at Shiro.  “What possessed you to let them in Shiro?”  He teases.

“I didn’t let them in, Keith did after he crash landed that plane in my face!”  He snaps.  Keith looks at Shiro with a pout.  Lance laughs.

“I knew he’d make a great pilot!”  He says and walks towards Turnip Head.  “And seems like we have yet another addition to the family.”  He leans closer to him.  “Hm… you have quite a nasty spell on you too huh?  Seems everyone in this house has problems.”

“What a handsome man.”  Haggar says.  Lance looks back at everyone with a bright smile.

“Alright we have a lot of work to do.  We’re moving!”

“Moving?”  Keith asks.

“That’s good, I’m sick of being out here in the middle of nowhere.”  Pidge said.

“Allura’s hot on our trail so we’ll have to be quick.”  He says then looks back at Turnip Head.  “I’m afraid your spell is too strong, you’ll have to stay behind.”

Lance went outside with a paint roller and walked behind Pidge who was throwing rocks out of the way.  Kova was walking right next to Lance.  He stops and looks at the spell circle he made.

“Alright, that oughta do it.”  He waves at the castle.  “ALRIGHT SHIRO!  LINE ER UP!”  He calls.  Shiro moves the castle over the circle.  He went back inside and made a circle on the floor with chalk and had everyone sitting on the table.  “Okay, that should do.  Everyone sit tight.”  He says and walks towards Shiro.

He scoops Shiro up and walks back to the circle.

“Be gentle with me, please.”  Shiro wimpers.  Lance stood on the circle.

“On my mark.”  He says.  Lifting one arm, completely focused.  Wind come from under them, growing more and more violent.  Shiro immediately grows, turning a bright blue, looking like a true demon.  Everything around them was changing.

Keith notices more rooms being made, Pidge was looking at the ceiling in awe.  Haggar and Kova just stared Lance like everything going on around her was natural.

Furniture was being made, little nick nacks placed around, and an extra bathroom.  Everything looks nicer way nicer.  Finally everything calms down and Lance drops to the floor.  Keith and Pidge look around in shock and amazement.  

“Movings done, you can get down now.”  Lance said as he walked Shiro back.  Pidge hops down with Kova.

“Woah this is amazing Master Lance, it’s huge!”  Pidge dances around.  Haggar smiles at Shiro.

“Oh what a pretty fire.”  She says yet again.  Keith got down and runs towards the window, he sees a train go by.  His violet eyes grew wide.

“But this is…”  

“Come see this Keith!”  Lance calls, Keith walks over to Lance.  “I added another bedroom too.  See?”  Lance opens the door to the other room.  Keith gasps, it looked just like… … He looks back at Lance, his skin fading back to a cream color.

“Why did you… do this?”  He asks quietly.  Lance leans on the doorway with a smile.

“So we have a room that suited you.  Do… you like it?”  He asks.  Keith looks back, his skin back to it’s usual purple.

“Yes.  It’s perfect for a cleaning kitty like me.”

“I also got you some new clothes too.  But you can open those later.”  Lance walks off, Keith was looking out the window in his room.  He couldn’t believe it.  “Come over here Keith!”  Lance calls.

He opens the front door and lets Pidge and Kova run around.

“Alright a courtyard!”  She says happily.  Lance nods.

“That shop over there is ours too.”  He says, meanwhile Haggar was looking out the window with the same smile on her face.  Pidge runs around outside with Kova at her feet.

“Come on let's check it out!”  She tells the cat.  Keith walks over and looks outside.  Lance sees him and smiles.

“See that new color on the dial, that means there's a new portal.”  He flicks it from yellow to red and opens the door, a field of flowers.  Keith gasps, it was pretty.  “It’s a present for you, come see.”  Lance says, Keith slowly walks out and looks around.

It was an amazing sight, flowers everywhere as well as a lake with little islands of flowers on them, in the far distance were mountains.  It looked like it was straight out of a storybook.  

“Do you like it?  It’s my secret garden.”  Lance held his arm out.  Keith put one hand on his elbow and walks with him.

“It’s incredible.”  He said in awe.  The two continued to walk in the garden, Keith soaking in the sight.  “Did you use your magic to make this?”

“Only a little, just to help the flowers grow.”  Lance hops over a small stream and helps Keith over too.  Keith runs to the edge of the lake in excitement.  He looks back at Lance, looking like his old self.  Only his hair stayed a bright white.

“This place is gorgeous Lance!”  He calls then looks back at the water.  “It’s like a dream.”  He kept staring at the flowers, at the water, at the mountains… everything.  It was beautiful, and it was his now.  A gift for him.

“Keith?”  Lance broke him out of his trance.  He looks back at Lance with a smile, his eyes tearing up.

“It’s funny.  It feels so familiar though I know I’ve never been here before.  I feel… at home.”  Keith said looking back out at the flowers.  Lance held his hand out.

“Come with me.”

“Kay.”  Keith responded a little too quickly and took Lance’s hand.  They walked down to a little cottage by the lake.

“Look there.”

“Heh, what a cute cottage.”  Keith chuckles, Lance looks at him happily.

“That was my secret hideout.  I spent a lot of time out here when I was young.”  He said, Keith looks at him with surprise.

“You were alone?”

“My uncle who was a wizard gave me this place as my private study.”  He looks at Keith with a smile.  “Now you can come here whenever you like.”  He walked forward, Keith slid his hand out of Lances.  He looks back confused.  “What’s the matter?”

“It’s… you’re scaring me.  I have this feeling that you’re going away.”  Keith said.  “Lance, please tell me what’s going on.  I don’t care if you’re a monster.”  Lance walks up to him with a reassuring smile.

“I’m just setting up so you all can live a comfortable life Keith.  With all these flowers in this field you can easily open up a flower shop.”  He said.  “Right?  I know you’d be good at it!”

“So you are going away.”  Keith sounded like he was in pain.  Lance’s smile fades into a concerned frown.  Keith figured out.  “Please Lance, I know I can be of help!  Even though I’m not pretty… and all I can do is clean…”  He trails off.

“Keith, Keith you’re beautiful!”  Lance protests.  He stops when he watches Keith change back, his skin turns back to purple fur, his ears come back, and his fangs grew too.  He opens his eyes, the violet was gone, replaced with a glassy looking yellow.

“The good thing about being a freak is you got nothing to lose.”  He says.  Lance looks at him with disappointment, then he hesitates and turns around.  His earrings shining in the sunlight.  Keith looks in the same direction as Lance and sees a battleship flying by.  Lance glares at it.

“What is that thing doing out here?”

“A battleship?”  Keith had to ask.

“Probably looking for more cities to burn.”

“Is it the enemy’s our one of ours?”

“What difference does it make?”  Lance growls.  He walks closer to Keith, putting a hand on the other’s hip and glares at the ship.  He sees all the bombs they’re carrying.  “Those stupid murderers.”  He grew a devious smirk.  “We can’t let them go off with all those bombs.”

He held his arm out, with one swipe he unplugged everything.  An alarm went off and everyone was freaking out.  All the crew members were running around trying to figure out what was wrong.  Lance put his arm down quickly, holding it down as it was slowly changing into his bird like form.

“What’s happening?  I hear panicking.”  Keith said as his ears twitch.  “What did you do?”

“Just messed with it.  Don’t worry it won’t crash.”  Lance said.  Keith notices his arm.

“Lance!”

“Uh oh.”  Lance said playfully.  “Here they come~”  A few beetle things fly out and point at them.  Lance held Keith closer, grabbing one of his arms while the other was still around his waist.  “Those things are Allura’s henchmen, we’ve gotta move!”

He ran off with Keith still in his arms, he was slowly changing into his bird form.  Meanwhile Keith was panicking as he desperately tried to keep up with Lance’s speed.

“We need to take off!”  His wings grew out of his back and flew Keith towards the door to the castle.  Keith was flailing, kicking his legs around like a madman.  Though he has every right.  Lance was carrying him off the ground while freaky bug things were chasing them.  He has every right to freak out.  They see the door.  “Alright I’m dropping you off!”

“NO DON’T LET GO!”  Keith yells, trying to sound angry though deep down he was about to cry.  Lance let’s go anyways.  Keith flails in the air as it magically glides him to the door, the door opens up taking him in.  The wheel turns back to yellow and Pidge runs in with Kova, they see Keith laying on his back holding his hip.

“Keith, you okay?  What happened?”  Pidge asks.  Keith groans in pain and looks at her with another ‘are you serious?’ face.

“I’m a cat, shouldn’t I land on my feet or something?!”  He complains.

* * *

Night pulls in quickly.  Keith was adjusting some of his clothes when Pidge walked into his room.  She was wearing her white nightgown, Kova at her feet.

“Good night Keith.”

“Good night Pidge.”  He says, Pidge didn’t leave right away.  She looks at Keith knowing he was worried.

“Don’t worry about Master Lance Keith, sometimes he’s gone for days on end.”  She says.  Keith smiles.

“Thank you, that’s good to hear.”  She left after that.  Keith got up and tucked Haggar into bed.

“Need anything else?”  He asks.

“No I’m alright dear.”  She says sweetly.

“Alright then.  Good night.”  Keith walks away.

“You’re in love.”  Haggar said suddenly.  Keith stops at the door, he looks back at her, his violet colored eyes were back.  “Don’t deny it, you’ve been sighing all day.”  Keith walks back to her, he sat at the edge of her bed and sighs, his ears go down as he stares at the floor.

“I knew it.”  She says.

“Have you ever been in love?”  He asks, she nods.

“I’m still in love.”  That made Keith gasp.  “He was a big and strong man, not like Lance.  Though the handsome young lads aren’t bad, their hearts I just adore!”

“You’re terrible.”  Keith said.

“And they’re not that bad looking either.”  A siren goes off outside, Keith’s ears shot up as they both looked around.

“What’s that noise?”  He walks towards the window.

“An air raid siren.”  Haggar says still laying in bed.  Keith looks over at her.

“Air raid?”

“It’s a long ways off, but you don’t want to leave tonight.”  She says with a playful smile.  “Allura’s henchmen are looking everywhere for this place.”  Keith slowly walks away from the window and back at Haggar’s side.  She was staring at Shiro who was right in front of her.  “Such a good fire, it keeps this house so well hidden.”

Miles and miles away Lance was fighting like usual.

* * *

The next day Pidge walks out in her disguise with Kova right behind her.  She was holding a small bouquet of flowers.  She noticed a small car pull up to the shop.  Pidge noticed Kova hide behind her and stare the car down.  That can’t be good.

Pidge and Kova ran to the back as Keith was walking out with a pot full of flowers.

“Keith!  Keith!  There’s a strange lady here!”  She says.  Keith raised an eyebrow and saw the lady who followed the two around.

Long, light hair up in a bun, cream colored skin, and a stunning outfit with an amazing hat.  Under all the makeup were bright violet eyes.  She looks at Keith with wide eyes.

“Mother?”  He asks.  Her face lit up, she held her arms out and ran at him.

“KEITH!”  She jumps in his arms, he was caught off guard and couldn’t hold her up.  They both fell.  His mother was a crying mess.  “Oh thank goodness you’re okay!  I’ve searched everywhere for you!”

“Oh my goodness look at you, you look so weird!”  She kept going on and on.  “Everyone is saying it’s my fault that you left.  You’ll forgive me, won’t you?  Oh Keith!  My Keith!”  She hugs him tighter, Keith smiles and hugs her back.

“Mother.”  He misses her.  Keith invites her inside so she can see the place.  Haggar asleep in a rocking chair next to Shiro, who was hiding himself as an ordinary fire.  Kova next to her legs staring her down. 

“Wow look at this place.”  She notices Haggar.  “Who is that woman?  The landlady?”  She looks back at Keith.  “Oh I forgot to tell you, I got remarried!”

“What?!”  Keith was way too surprised to hear that.

“He’s really nice and he’s filthy rich so we can all live together again!”  She says happily.  Pidge peeks over the stairs, staring the lady down.  “You won’t have to live as a cleaner any more.”

“That’s okay Mother.  I actually like living here.”  He tells her with a smile.  His mother was confused.

“Really?”  She asks then jumps.  “Oh that’s right I have a car waiting for me.  I’ve gotta run!”  Keith walked out with her.  Haggar opens her eyes and notices the bag lying on the table.  She got up and ran to the bag, grabbing the bag like the greedy woman she is and runs back to her chair.  Kova didn’t like the bag and ran under the couch.  

She opens it and sees a slug try to escape.  Haggar grabs it before it got far, she smirks at it.

“A peeping bug?  You can do better than that Allura.”  She sassed.  “Open wide Shiro~”  Haggar tosses the bug to Shiro who ate it.  He made a disgusted face and almost went out due to how awful that was.  Haggar threw out all the gifts and smiles at one gift… a cigar.

Outside Keith was saying goodbye to his mother.  

“I hope you and your new husband are happy together.”  He says.  She nods and kisses her sons head.

“Thank you Keith.  Goodbye.”  They drove off.  Keith’s mother glares at the driver.  “I did what I was told, now take me home.”  She says.

“Yes ma’am, I’m sure Madam Allura will be pleased.”  The driver said.  She glares at him then looks back in Keith’s direction.

“Forgive me Keith.”

Keith walks back up the stairs to the shop and sees everyone leaving.  He watches them all walk off.

“Wow look at all of them go.  Soon the town will be empty.”

“Are you gonna leave too Keith?”  Pidge asks still wearing her disguise.  Keith looks down at her.

“What?”  He asks, Pidge looks up at him.

“That lady said she wanted you to live with her now.”  She sounded upset.  Keith smiles and nods.

“Yes well… at least she cared enough to visit.”  He said.  Pidge cried and hugged him tight.

“Don’t leave Keith!”  She says in tears and buries her face in his dress.  “I love you…”  Keith felt a tug at his heart, he gave her a sappy smile and hugs her back.

“Aw… I love you too Pidge.”  He says.  “I’ll stay.”  Pidge looks up at him sweetly.

“Really?”  She asks with excitement, Keith nods.  “Cause we’re a family now!”

“Yes.  We’re a family.”  He kept ahold of her.

Meanwhile inside Haggar lit the cigar.  She took a breath in, and another, and another.  Then she lets out a huge puff of smoke, she sighs in relief.

“I will never let Allura get ahold of Lance.”  She said as she threw the match.  Kova sat under the couch, he smelled the cigar’s smoke.  The poor cat’s eyes grew wide, he mewls weakly as his eyes roll back.

* * *

Later that night they were all sitting in the living room.  Keith was trying to get Shiro started while Pidge was reading the paper.  No matter how many times he used the bellow Shiro wasn’t lighting up.

“Says in the paper we won.”  Pidge said.  Haggar chuckles.

“Only idiots believe in what they read in the paper.”  She tells her.  Keith pouts, his ears go down.

“That’s strange, I can’t seem to get Shiro working.”  He says, he looks back at Haggar.  “Haggar quit smelling that, it’s awful!”  He says as he scrunches up his nose.  She smiles at him.

“Don’t deny an old witch her pleasures.”  She tells him.

“Pidge go crack a window.”

“Mm hm.”  She nods and runs to a window.  Haggar looks over at Pidge as she taps her cigar from ashes.

“I wouldn’t open that window if I were you.”  She says.  “Shiro is too weak to protect this place, Allura’s henchmen could get in.”  Haggar takes another puff.  Keith looks at Pidge, he hadn’t thought of that.

“Pidge close the window.”  He tells her.  She didn’t listen.  Above them a battleship drops bombs on the houses below.  Keith about trips due to the shock the ground took.  He caught himself and runs to the window.  “Get back!”  He pulls her back and closes the window and curtains.

Keith runs outside and sees a battleship above, Pidge was looking right next to him.

“Pidge get back inside.”  He says, he grabs his dress and began to run.  “I’m gonna go check on the shop!”  Pidge nods and runs back inside.

Keith runs outside of the shop, he sees people running away from a fire.  He was staring at the fire close by, he was so distracted till he heard growling.  He quickly turns and sees Allura’s henchmen.  He would’ve looked more threatening if he looked like a monster, but somehow Keith looked human again.

They kept coming at him, he growls.

“WHY DON’T YOU GO PUT OUT SOME FIRES INSTEAD!”  He shouts as he ran back in the shop.  They lunged at him, he shuts the door on them and locks it.  He ran out of the shop as they broke the door down.  Keith was close to the door to the house when he saw a battleship above them, it drops bombs down right on his house.

He was frozen in fear, he couldn’t move.  Then his eyes grew wide, he saw Lance flew down on one of the bombs.  He screams.

“LANCE NO!”  Explosions all around them, breaking windows and things flying off the shelves.  Inside Pidge was hiding in Haggar’s lap, she was holding the scared girl while smoking still.  She looks up with a smile.

“This is exciting.”

Outside, the bomb landed in their courtyard and it didn’t go off.  Lance was still holding it, he looks up at Keith and smiles.  Keith slowly turns around to see Lance looking at him.  He runs to him.

“Lance!”  He jumps in Lance’s arms, he holds onto him tightly.

“I’m so sorry Keith, I should’ve gotten here sooner.”  He apologized.  Keith looks him in the eyes.

“You’re alive.  Oh thank goodness.”  He nuzzles back into Lance’s chest, he grips the clingy boys back and looks at Allura’s henchmen crawling at them.  Lance kept Keith in his arms, putting a wing around him to keep him safe.  Keith accepted it, staying curled up in Lance’s side as they walked back into the house.  He quickly flew in with Keith and sent the henchmen out.

“Master Lance, Keith!  You’re okay!”  Pidge says.  Lance lets Keith go, Pidge hugs him as soon as he hit the ground.  Lance went over to Shiro and woke him up.

“Shiro, you hang in there now!”  Shiro woke up and coughed up a spark, it sounded like a firework.  His color was back to a bright red, he faceplants in the ashes in front of him.  Lance looks at Haggar who was still smoking.

“Tell me, was that a gift from Madam Allura, was it?”  He asks as Haggar blew another puff of smoke out, surrounding Lance.

“Lance she fed me something gross, I feel sick.”  Shiro complains behind him.  Haggarlooks at him and smirks.

“Why if it isn’t Lance.”  She says.  “I think you and I need a nice long heart to heart chat~”

“There’s nothing I’d like more, but right now there’s a war going on.”  He held his hand out to crush her cigar on.  She was a little surprised.

“Well look at you, not running away anymore.”  She says as she puts the cigar out.  He crushes it and nods.

“Until next time.”  He bows away.  He walks up to Keith and grabs his shoulders.  “Stay here, Shiro will protect you from the henchmen.  I’ll stand guard out front.”  He walks towards the door, Keith runs at Lance.

“No Lance!”  He grabs Lance from behind.  “Don’t go out there, it’s too dangerous!”  Lance looks at Keith.

“Another wave is coming, and Shiro is too weak to stop the bombs.”  He said, Keith looks at him.

“Let’s run!  Don’t fight them Lance!”  He says.

“I’m sorry.  I’ve had enough of running away Keith.”  Lance tells him.  “And now I’ve got something I want to protect.  It’s you.”  Keith’s eyes grew wide, then in a second he flies out the door.  Keith was speechless.

“Come back!”  Keith cries as he runs out.  He watches as Lance flew away.  He sees the henchmen were crawling at him.  He nods and runs back in, he knew what he had to do.

The city was overrun by Allura’s henchmen, all trying to get into their house.  Keith was on the other side of the door.  He turns the dial to green, the wastes.  He runs out and sees the town where the shop was.

“There’s our shop.”  He says as a battleship was going towards it, knowing Lance was near it.  “Lance be careful.”  He says, the battleship blew up, he could hear roaring and screeches of henchmen.  Keith gasps.

Pidge runs outside with Kova.

“Keith, what’s wrong?  Turnip!”  She jumps back when she sees Turnip Head bounce in.  Keith looks over at Pidge and runs in.

“Pidge we need your help.”  Keith said.  Pidge watches them run in. 

“You crazy?  I can’t move the portals without Lance’s help.”  Shiro snaps as he takes another log.  Keith ties his shawl around Haggar’s head.

“You have to try.  If not then Lance will continue to protect the hat shop.”  He said as he adjusts the shawl on Haggar’s head.  “I preferred him as a coward.”  He snaps and helps Haggar up.  “Come on, let’s go.”

“Are we going for a stroll?”  She asks.

“You can’t do that, it’ll make us too vulnerable!”  Shiro says.

“We already are, and if we don’t hurry Lance doesn’t stand a chance!”  He snaps.

“Keith!”  Pidge calls.  He sees her run in with Turnip Head and Kova.  “They’re about to bomb the hat shop!”

“We have to hurry, take Haggar!”  He says.  She runs over and takes Haggar’s hand.  Keith takes a shovel and runs to Shiro.  “We have to go, now get on.”  He commands.

“No I can’t… i-it’s impossible.”  He whines, Keith glares.

“We have no time to lose Shiro, you’re coming whether you like it or not.”  He hisses.  He scoops Shiro up, he starts to panic.

“No no no no no!  Help help, crazy guy with a shovel!”  Keith runs to the group, Shiro glares at him.  “You take me out the castle could collapse.”

“Good!”  They were all outside, only Keith and Shiro remain inside.

“We’re ready Keith.”  Pidge said.

“Alright stand back.”  Keith tells her.  Shiro looks up at him.

“Make sure I go out last.”  He reminds him.  “Ooooh I don’t know what’s going to happen.”  They walked out and like what Shiro said, the castle collapsed.  Pidge looks up seeing a battleship flying by.

“Keith look, that ships heading for town!”  She says.

“Pidge you stay with Haggar.  Turnip Head help me find a way in.”  He tells him.  The two run in the rubble with Shiro, Kova follows them.  Pidge looks at Haggar, holding her hand tight.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you.”  She tells her.  Keith found a way in.

“Pidge I found a way in.”  Keith said.  Turnip Head hops over and carries Haggar to Keith.  Kova hops in and follows Keith around.

“It’s wet in here, the roof is leaking.”  Shiro complains.

“Wait here.”  Keith puts him down.

“No no Keith it’s wet here.  Don’t leave me.”  Shiro kept whining.  Keith rips some wood from the broken castle and carries it back to Shiro.  “Damp, very damp here.”  Keith drops the wood on Shiro.  Kova wanted to be helpful and carries a stick over to Shiro, he takes it from the cat.

Keith puts a stool down and looks at the entrance.

“Pidge hurry up and get inside!”  He says.  Pidge was walked in leading Haggar in.

“The castle’s a wreck.”  She comments.

“That’s why we should’ve stayed put!”  Shiro shouts.  “Lance and I could’ve handled it-”  Keith drops a huge chunk of wood on Shiro.

“We’re not attached to the hat shop anymore.  Now take us to Lance so we can tell him that.”  Keith commands.

“Huh?”  Shiro was confused then backs away when water falls on the wood.

“I know you can do it, I’ve never seen a fire with more spark.”  Keith says, giving Shiro a beautiful smile.  Shiro sighs.

“B-But there’s no chimney and I keep getting dripped on and the woods all wet!”  He kept whining.  Keith leans closer to him.

“They say people blaze at their brightest when circumstances are at their worst.”

“Yeah but no one really believes that, let’s be honest.”  He tells him.  Haggar and Pidge walk closer.

“Oooh what a pretty fire.”  She says, Pidge pulls the stool up.

“Why don’t you have a seat?”

“Alright… but I’ll need something from you Keith.”  Shiro says.  Keith raised an eyebrow.  “How about your eyes.”

“How about this?”  Keith brought his hair forward, Shiro took a chunk of it and ate his hair, then he turns into a black flame.  Keith’s hair falls out of his ponytail, now his hair was cut like a mullet.  He leans in with Pidge, watching, waiting to see Shiro move.  Finally a huge burst of fire, Shiro shot up and pushed on the ceiling.  Commanding the castle to move, everyone was in awe.

The castle fell apart, only the mouth remained.  They walked off, Turnip Head bouncing ahead of them, Keith sees the scarecrow bouncing through the hole in the floor.  Keith looks at Shiro with amazement.

“Thanks Shiro!  You’re amazing!”  He says, Shiro looked more like a demon.

“Imagine what I could’ve done with your eyes.  Or your heart!”  That caught Haggar’s attention, her eyes grew wide.

“That’s it… That’s it!”  She says.  “You have Lance’s heart!”  She looks at the base of the fire, something was beating, her eyes lit up.  “I found it!”

The castle kept moving, Turnip Head balances on the castle.  Keith and Pidge peek out to see Lance.

“I see Lance, he looks like he’s in trouble!”  He said.  In the huddle where Lance was lightning struck.  Keith’s eyes grew.  “SHIRO HURRY!”  He calls then gasps.  Haggar picks up the heart.  Shiro screams at her when she picks him up.

“I got it.  Mommy’s got his heart sweetie!”  She says.  Keith and Pidge runs up to her.

“Put him back!”  Keith begs.  The castle became unstable.  They were thrown off and around.  Pidge fell backwards with Kova, Haggar fell the other way.  Shiro in defense set her on fire.  Keith stares at her.

“Put him back now!”  He shouts.  Haggar began to wail.

“It’s hot!  It’s hot!  It burns!”  She cries.  Keith ran up to her, trying to take the heart.

“Put it down!”  He yells.  “You’re catching on fire!”  Haggar wouldn’t let the heart go.

“No it’s mine!  It belongs to Lotor!”  She wails.  Keith in a panic grabs a bucket of water and throws it on them.  They all stood there, realizing what Keith had just done.  Then the castle broke in half, Keith was on the opposite side.  Pidge held her hand out to catch him.

“Keith!”  She calls, he tried to reach but Kova jumped in his arms, the two fell down the pit below.  The last thing he heard was Pidge crying.  “KEITH!”  Meanwhile Haggar was crying.

“Keith ruined it.  The heart is ruined!”  The castle kept walking off all goofy.

* * *

At the bottom Keith slowly got up, whimpering in pain.  The rubble fell off his back, he just sat there.  Kova got out from the rubble, he shakes the dirt off of him and walks towards Keith.  He mewls at him, Keith was frozen in place.  Another mewl got Keith to move, he slowly looks at Kova, tears forming in his eyes.

“Kova what have I done, I poured water on Shiro!”  He began to cry, tears flooding out of his eyes.  “What if I killed Lance too?!”  He buries his face in his hands and bawls.  He messed up, he killed the man he loved.  He didn’t notice the ring started to glow.  Then it stopped, Kova looks at the light then at Keith.  He mewls kept trying to get Keith’s attention.

Finally the cat started clawing at his dress, trying to get Keith to stop crying and look at the ring.  Finally Keith looks at the ring, it was fidgeting.  Keith stares at the ring in shock.

“Is Lance still alive?  Can you lead me to him?”  He asks, the ring flashes at a piece of rubble.  He pushes the metal down and saw the front door was still standing.  His eyes grew wide.  “The front door.”  He was shocked, the light came back.  He opens it and couldn’t see past it.  However that wouldn’t stop him, he pushes forward.  Kova follows him in.

They didn’t know where the door lead, or heck where they were going.  But the two kept going, walking towards a blue lit room.  Keith felt like he was in a dream, it was so strange.  The ring on his finger twitches.

Kova scratches at the door, he wanted out, wanted Keith to see outside.

“Kova?”  He was wondering what the cat was up to.  He walks out, it was the cottage that was in Lance’ garden.  The sky was full of shooting stars, the ring started to disappear.  Keith was shocked.  The ring was fading away slowly.  Keith thought the stars looked familiar as they fell to the ground and explode into a colorful display.

In the distance a young boy was watching the sky, the ring shook more violently.  Visions came back to Keith, it was when he was with Allura.  Those things surrounded him and Lance, they looked like the stars.  He now knew who that young boy was.

“That… That’s Lance.”  He hops down and runs towards the boy.  Kova follows.  “I know where I am now, I’m in Lance’s childhood!”  He says as he ran towards the small boy.  The stars run as well, those stars… they were demons.  And they were dying all around him.

Keith stood still for too long, the ground started to consume him.  He backs away and fell over.  He looks back at the sky, a powerful demon was about to land.  The young Lance runs at it and caught it.  He was glowing bright, the demon lighting them up in the darkness.

Kova noticed that Keith’s ring was about to break, he ran to him.  Keith was too busy watching Lance.  He was talking to the demon in his hands.  Then he ate the demon, Lance began to cough violently.  He held his chest, slowly his heart was pulled out… Shiro…

The ring broke and the ground broke around Keith.  He panics and saw the two disappearing around them.  He calls to them.

“LANCE!  SHIRO!”  He shouts, the two look over.  “IT’S ME KEITH!  I KNOW HOW TO HELP YOU NOW!”  They stared at him in amazement.  A stranger knows them.  “FIND ME IN THE FUTURE!”  He calls as he falls in the darkness, Kova jumps after him.  Then they were gone.  Lance walks with Shiro in his hands, towards where the hole was.  It was gone, solid ground now.

Keith was falling through the sky, Kova walking around in the air.  Keith got the hang of it and was walking behind Kova.  After a bit the cat started mewling at him.  Keith takes a deep breath and looks around.

“I’m sorry Kova, I can’t seem to stop crying.”  He says, the two kept walking through the darkness.  Soon a light came up, they walked towards it and made it on the other side of the door.  It vanished behind them, but Keith didn’t seem to notice, also not the weirdest thing he’s seen.

A pile of feathers was in front of him, weak breathing was all the noise it was making.  Keith walks up to the pile and pushes a few feathers back, Lance’s face appeared.

“Lance…”  He looked dead.  “Did I take too long?  I’m sorry.”  Keith closes the distance between them, giving Lance a quick kiss.  He smiles at him.  “I need you to take me to Shiro now.”  He said.  Lance slowly got up, putting one foot out for Keith and Kova.  The three fly to the rest of their family.

* * *

Everyone else was walking up a hill.  Turnip Head was on watch while the other two were asleep.  Pidge wakes up upon hearing the wind howl, she looks up and sees Lance land with Keith and Kova with him.  Lance flops over and changes back to a human.

Keith walks over to him and turns him on his back, pushing his bangs back.  Pidge runs over and stares at him in sadness.

“He’s dead?”

“No Pidge.”  Keith stood up and walks towards Haggar.  She clung to the heart, not wanting to let it go.  Keith leans down with his arm held out.  “Lance needs that back now.”

“I don’t have it, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  Haggar said.  Keith hugs her and begs.

“Please… please give it back.”  Haggar sat there with a sad look, she knew how Keith felt, she’s felt the same way once.  She had to overcome her greed.

“You really want it that bad?”

“Yes.”  Keith nods.

“Alright.”  The two pull away from their hug.  “Take good care of it.”  She gives it to Keith, he nods.

“Thank you Haggar, you have a big heart.”  He kisses her cheek and walks back to Lance.

“Shiro?”  He calls for Shiro, he looks up.

“Keith I am so tired.”  He was still complaining.

“If I give Lance’s heart back, what’ll happen to you?”

“I’ll be okay… I think… I mean you dumped water on us and we both survived.”

“Then I’d better try.”  He held Shiro close.  “It’s warm and fluttering like a bird.”

“It’s still the heart of a child.”  Shiro said.  Keith nods and prays.

“Please help Shiro live, and give Lance his heart back.”  The whole family surrounds the two.  Keith pushes the heart on Lance’s chest.  Then it glows, and Shiro shot out of Lance.

“I’M ALIVE!  LOOK AT ME I’M ALIVE AND FREE!  I’M FREE!”  He shot away.  Lance groans in pain, then went back to resting.  Pidge was happy, she looks at Keith.

“He moved!”  She said.  Meanwhile Kova and Haggar were watching Shiro leave.  Then the castle fell apart.  “WAH IT CAN’T STAND WITHOUT SHIRO!”  She says.  They all fell down the cliff.  Turnip Head hops in front of them and slows down their fall.  They ended up landing, wedged between a rock and the wall of a cliff.  Turnip Head fell back on them.  Keith held the poor scarecrow close.

“His pole snapped.”  He said.  “You saved us Turnip.”  He gave the scarecrow a quick kiss then he began to twitch.  Keith panics and let’s go of Turnip Head.  He hops up and stood on his own.  His black suit turns yellow and he turned into a man, short brown hair and brown eyes… he looked like Pidge.

“Thank you Keith.”  He smiles.  “I’m the prince from the neighboring kingdom who’s been missing for a while.  Somehow I got that blasted spell put on me.”

“I know that spell!”  Haggar said.  “A kiss from your true love breaks it.”  He nods.

“That’s right.  If it wasn’t for Keith I’d be a scarecrow all my life.”  He was talking to Haggar, Keith looks back at Lance.  He woke up and sat up a bit.

“What’s going on?”  He asks.  Then he flinches in pain.  “Ah I feel awful.  Like there’s a pain in my chest.”  He whines.  Keith smiles at him.

“A heart's a heavy burden.”  He says, Lance smiles at him in amazement.

“Woah Keith your hair, it looks like starlight!”  He reached up to touch it.  “It’s beautiful.”

“You think so?  So do I!”  He tackles Lance down in a hug, relieved that he was alright.”  Pidge smiles at the two, Haggar covers her eyes and talks to the obviously jealous prince.

“Seems like your true love is in love with someone else.  You should go home anyways and tell the king to stop this dumb war.”  She says, the prince nods.

“Yes that is what I shall do.”  He says.  “But one thing is for certain and that is hearts change.  So when this war is over I shall be back.”  He said, Haggar chuckles.

“Well we’ll be waiting for you Darling.”  She says happily, Pidge staring at the boy with a pout.  Kova was circling around happily mewling.

The other side of Allura’s glass ball she saw her cat smiling at her.

“There you are, you should’ve checked in earlier.  What have you been up to?”  She asks her cat.  Kova shows her the prince saying goodbye to the family.  Allura huffs.  “So… Lance found his true love.  You little traitor.”  She says.  Kova runs back to his new family.  She smiles and looks at her servent.

“The game is over, you won.”  She says.  “Get me the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense.  It’s time to put an end to this idiotic war.”  She tells him, he bows and leaves.

Meanwhile back with the family Shiro returns to them as a star.  Pidge points him out.

“Hey Shiro’s back.”  She says, they all smile.

“You didn’t have to come back Shiro.”  Lance reminds him.  Keith walks up and held Shiro.  He comes back in his flame form and looks at them.

“I kinda missed you guys, and it looks likes it’s gonna rain-”  He was cut off by Keith’s chuckling.

“I missed you too Shiro.”  The two shared a brief kiss.

“Wow!”  Shiro turns pink from embarrassment.  Keith was an attractive person so anyone would be lucky to get something from him.  The family was reunited.

The castle was rebuilt as a flying machine, now that the skys were safe, and Lance was free like a bird.  In the backyard of the plane Haggar sat in the shade on a rocking chair, watching Pidge and Kova run around and play.  Enjoying the nice weather.

Keith was in a yellow dress and a normal sunhat with a maroon ribbon.  Lance was leaning next to him watching the sky go by.  The two have never felt so happy before, it was all over and now they had nothing to fear.  The two shared a kiss as they flew off into the sky.


End file.
